Sucka Free: Counting Crows


There’s a piece of maria in every song that I sing

Adam Duritz, the lead singer and songwriter of Counting Crows has been agonising over Maria for four albums. Though his lyrics, full of beautiful losers and heartbroken heartbreakers, have given us an aching array of heroes and heroines, the mystique surrounding Maria makes her stand out from the crowd of... you know what, I am just going to list a few:

The legendary Anna (“Every time she sneezes I believe it’s love”); Carrie, who practices ballet in the basement “with the girl in the mirror, who spins as she spins”; Marjorie who is “just trying to be a good girl”; the girl he called Mercury (“a victim of her own responses”) who made him think “it’s a sin to be fading endlessly”; the girl he called Monkey and asked “What’s life without an occasional surprise?”; Amy (“every time it rains she just feels a lot better”) and Elisabeth the Queen of California…

But Maria, she stays with you like a scar left over from some painful time that has grown familiar and friendly, from the first time we meet her (“Maria came from Nashville with a suitcase in her hand, she says she’d like to meet a boy who looks like Elvis) to all those songs and albums later when Adam tells us that through all the lost and longing loners and lovers she has been with us.

This is from August and Everything After: the handwritten lyrics were used to decorate the cover of their first album, but the song was never released. We couldn’t see the full text, and for years the song was like a Holy Grail for Counting Crows fans. Eventually Adam capitulated and played it.

“They’re waking up Maria, cos every body has some place to go
She makes a
little motion with her head, says she’s gonna sleep for a couple minutes more
I’ve said I’m sorry to Maria for all the cruel cold-hearted things that I’ve
done
I’ve said I’m sorry, by now, at least once, to just about every one.”

Comments

Minty said…
Yes. i've also started. And of course, Sokies. (i.e., 'firsties' in Luganda)
this right here is the baddest line I have read in so long:
'stays with you like a scar left over from some painful time that has grown familiar and friendly,'

and it's going to stay. with me.
Anonymous said…
In unrelated news, @ least u baz...u're so popular,u have bazungu bigging u up; see attached! http://kellyuganda.livejournal.com/68718.html?mode=reply
bikozulu said…
Uhm, I know this got nothn to do with Counting Crows but what happened to Bad Idea man?
Baz said…
biko, i was sick in hospital. You should have sent me Champagne.

Scotchbiscuits, when I find a better computer, I shall see if I can upload some for you.

@Informer, kellyuganda was here the other week. She also has a pleasant blog.

Minty, try sokies at 200coinhasfish. Tell him I sent you.
bikozulu said…
@Baz. So you are human after all! Nonetheless, sorry about your illness.
Iwaya said…
Counting Crows somehow became too softie sentimental for me. it's always the same aching and the same feeling sorry for himself like he can never win. fell off the wagon a little while ago.
Baz said…
Iwaya, I said that also once. But you wait. They will pull you back.
Michael Krahn said…
Hey,

Found you through google blog search. Fantastic Post! Will have to link to it.

I did some writing about the band recently which I'm putting up on my blog in 5 parts.

Check it out if you want to:

http://krahn.blogspot.com/

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