"You Can't Count On Me" is central to the Sunday Mornings part of the record, sequenced in the middle of those songs as a reminder.
"It's about, 'Yeah, I've ended a million relationships and yeah, I can write really eloquently about them because I am sad about them being over and I can write a beautiful sad song about them being over but do not confuse that with me being better because the turnaround is all those ugly lines," he said. "'(You) watch the sky/It's a pale parade of passing clouds/That cover the bed upon which we laid in the dark/and the memories that I made of a laughing girl.'
"Those are the memories he and the girl share and its sad and you might want them back but the next line is 'but you're just my toy and I can't stop playing with you.'"
That's a pretty cold sentiment and Duritz knows it.
"'You Can't Count on Me' is about that — uglier than I actually am," he said. "'All this pain gets me high and I get off.' Well, I'm not really that way but I might as well be because - what started to occur to me at that point is you can have all the good intentions in the world. I don't cheat on people, I'm a good guy. If you hurt people over and over again, does it really matter? By the same token if you have all the worst intentions in the world and the most selfish motives, if you do good things, does it matter? I don't know. I'm not sure."
Most artists have, on some level, a desire to have their work understood. For Duritz it seems all the more important that his work be understood because he and his art are inextricably linked. Understanding Counting Crows' music may not reveal all there is to no about the man, but it seems virtually impossible to understand the man without understanding the work. That link between life and art is something Duritz explores in "When I Dream of Michaelanegelo."
Article comments
1 - Tom Johnson
This is great, Josh. I'm really glad you didn't just transcribe it but formed it into a narrative. I'm really fascinated to find out what prompted the "themes" behind this album, it's really helping flesh out an already great piece of work.
2 - Josh Hathaway
Thanks, Tom. There was still a lot of great stuff from the interview (the stuff that actually got aired) that didn't make it into this piece. It is definitely worth listening to when/if you have time because he gives so much insight into this record and it's such a terrific record.
I might have done more of a transcription style but this was not so much a traditional interview. I'd toss something out there to him and Adam would just take it and go. It was a bit daunting to try and create a narrative because I didn't want to misrepresent his comments. He's had that happen to him a few times. I think I stayed true to the tone and content of the overall interview. I hope so, anyway. I'm glad you enjoyed the read.