For the group's first album, Adam and David added bassist Matt Malley, multi-instrument talent Charlie Gillingham, and drummer Steve Bowman. David Immergluck served as the second guitarist on the first album, but he did not officially join the band until 1999. Guitarist Dan Vickery was added just as the band set out on their first tour. As stated before, 'August and Everything After' provided the band with a surprise yet very welcome success, garnering them critical praise. Released on September 14, 1993 through Geffen Records, the album hit #2 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart, showing that their tunes had tapped into something.
Counting Crows, with their intimate and confessional yet smooth, often catchy musical approach, achieved a large fan base among melodic rock fans over the years. Their 90s acclaim reflected that a significant music scene looked for something different from the raging guitars of the Seattle-based grunge movement as well as from either boilerplate pop music or the budding electronic music subgenres. The group kept on releasing new songs into the new millennium.
The band's more recent successes include the 2004 hit song "Accidentally In Love", which was featured on the Shrek 2 soundtrack (that has sold over 1,000,000 copies). That song has also garnered nominations for a Grammy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award. That same year, the band released their first ever best of set, which they titled 'Films about Ghosts'. That album features songs from every phase of the Counting Crows' recording career. To date, the band has sold over 20 million albums worldwide.
The group made the news when 'Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings' was released on March 25th, 2008. In addition, on January 16, 2008, the band released a digital EP as a free download on their official web site, consisting of the songs "1492" and "When I Dream Of Michelangelo". The lead single from the album was "You Can't Count On Me", which was released for radio play on February 4, 2008.
The album itself is thematically and stylistically divided into two parts: the first, more rock-influenced Saturday Nights, and the second, more country-influenced Sunday Mornings. Theme changes along with style; in the Sunday Mornings portion of the album, songs become more reflective. The iTunes release contains several bonus tracks, including a track-by-track interview with Duritz.
Members of the band:
Adam Duritz - lead vocals, piano, wurlitzer, tamborine
David Bryson - guitars, dobro, vocals
Charles Gillingham - piano, organ, accordion, mellotron, vocals
Dan Vickery - guitars, sitar, banjo, vocals
David Immergluck - guitars, bass, electric sitar, mandolin, vocals
Jim Bogios - drums, percussion loops, vocals
Millard Powers - bass guitar, upright bass, piano, vocals
Ex-members of the band:
Matt Malley - guitars, double bass, vocals
Ben Mize - drums, percussion, tambourine, bulbs, vocals
Steve Bowman - drums, vocals
Ben Ulrich - drums
Marty Jones - bass guitar
Lydia Holly - keyboards
Toby Hawkins - drums
Albums
August And Everything After - (September 14, 1993)
Recovering The Satellites - (October 14, 1996)
Across a Wire - Live in New York City - (1998)
This Desert Life - (November 1, 1999)
Hard Candy - (July 8, 2002)
Films About Ghosts: The Best Of - (November 25, 2003)
*New Amsterdam: Live At Heineken Music Hall - (June 19, 2006)
August And Everything After, Deluxe Edition - (Fall 2007)
Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings - (March 25, 2008)
Somewhere Under Wonderland - (September 2, 2014)
Up All Night
Counting Crows Lyrics
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Is everybody clear?
We could drive out to the dunes tonight,
'cause summer's almost here.
And I've been up all night,
I might sleep all day.
Get your dreams just right
Let them slip away,
When the roads are clear,
We'll head on out of here,
If you're coming back,
I'll see you in the morning
I'm just staring at
The ceiling staring back at me,
Just waiting for the daylight
To come crawling in on me
And I've been up all night,
I might sleep all day.
Get your dreams just right
And let them slip away,
I might sleep all day.
Oh, it's too late to get high now.
And I've been up all night,
I might sleep all day.
Get your dreams just right
And let them slip away,
I might sleep all day.
Oh, it's too late to get high now.
Fix your hair just right
Put your jeans on tight,
Wear a dress, so I can get it off real easy.
'Cause I've been thinking I'd
Like to see your eyes
Open up real wide the minute that you see me.
If you don't come through,
I wouldn't wait for you.
I understand that everyone goes disappearing,
Into the greatest gray
That covers over everyday,
And hovers in the distance
And the distance and the distance
I've been up all night,
I might sleep all day.
Get your dreams just right
Let them slip away,
I might sleep all day.
Oh, it's too late to get high now.
I've been up all night,
I might sleep all day.
Get your dreams just right
Let them slip away,
I might sleep all day.
Oh, it's too late to get high now.
Baby I'm not alone
Only want to get high.
The song "Up All Night" by Counting Crows is one that is both subtle and profound. The lyrics are a reflection on the mundanity of everyday life and the longing for adventure and excitement. The song is written in a conversational tone, and the questions posed by the singer seem to be directed at the listener, a device that invites the audience to participate in the song.
The first verse sets the scene for the song, with the singer asking if everyone is happy and clear about what they want. This is followed by a suggestion to go out to the dunes, which is a symbol of escape and freedom. The singer admits to having been up all night, implying that he has been living life to the fullest, and he suggests that it might be time to sleep all day and let your dreams slip away. The second verse continues the theme of escape, with the singer looking forward to leaving town, and promising to see his companion in the morning. The chorus then repeats the idea of sleeping all day and letting your dreams slip away, with the added caveat that it's too late to get high now.
The third verse takes a turn, with the singer suggesting that his companion fix her hair and put on tight jeans or a dress. The sexual tension is palpable here, with the singer imagining the moment when his companion's eyes fall on him. However, the singer also acknowledges that people go their separate ways, and that sometimes we are left alone. The final chorus repeats the earlier themes, with the added revelation that the singer only wants to get high.
Overall, "Up All Night" is a song about longing and escape. The singer is unsatisfied with the mundanity of everyday life, and is seeking something more. The references to sleeping all day and getting high suggest that the singer is looking for an escape from reality, a chance to let go and be free.
Line by Line Meaning
Is everybody happy now?
Are all of you content with your lives currently?
Is everybody clear?
Does everyone understand each other?
We could drive out to the dunes tonight, 'cause summer's almost here.
We have the freedom to go out for a drive tonight because summer is right around the corner.
And I've been up all night, I might sleep all day.
I have been awake all night and there is a possibility I might rest throughout the day.
Get your dreams just right. Let them slip away, I might sleep all day.
Make sure your aspirations are perfect and allow them to drift away while I rest during the day.
When the roads are clear, We'll head on out of here.
We will leave this place when there is no congestion on the roads.
If you're coming back, I'll see you in the morning
If you are coming back, I will see you tomorrow morning.
I'm just staring at The ceiling staring back at me, Just waiting for the daylight To come crawling in on me
I am gazing at the ceiling, which is looking back at me, and waiting for daylight to approach.
Oh, it's too late to get high now.
It is too late for us to get high.
Fix your hair just right Put your jeans on tight, Wear a dress, so I can get it off real easy.
Make yourself look great by doing your hair properly and wearing tight-fitting jeans or dresses that I can remove without difficulty.
'Cause I've been thinking I'd Like to see your eyes Open up real wide the minute that you see me.
I have been considering how wonderful it would be to witness your eyes open wide the moment you lay your eyes on me.
If you don't come through, I wouldn't wait for you.
If you don't show up, I would not wait for you.
I understand that everyone goes disappearing, Into the greatest gray That covers over everyday, And hovers in the distance And the distance and the distance
I comprehend that everyone vanishes into the greatest gray that looms over everyday life, and is present in the distance, and even further beyond.
Baby I'm not alone, Only want to get high.
Baby, I am not alone, I just want to get high.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID LYNN BRYSON, ADAM FREDRIC DURITZ, CHARLES THOMAS GILLINGHAM, DAVID A IMMERGLUCK, MATTHEW MARK MALLEY, BEN G MIZE, DANIEL JOHN VICKREY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind