“My friend assures me, “It’s all or nothing.”
I am not worried
I am not overly concerned
My friend implores me, “For one time only,
make an exception.” I am not worried
Wrap her up in a package of lies
Send her off to a coconut island
I am not worried I am not overly concerned
with the status of my emotions
“Oh,” she says, “you’re changing.”
But we’re always changing
It does not bother me to say this isn’t love
Because if you don’t want to talk about it then it isn’t love
And I guess I’m going to have to live with that
But I’m sure there’s something in a shade of grey,
Something in between,
And I can always change my name
If that’s what you mean
My friend assures me, “It’s all or nothing.”
But I am not really worried I am not overly concerned
You try to tell yourself the things you try to tell yourself
To make yourself forget I am not worried
“If it’s love,” she said, “then we’re going to have to think about the consequences.”
She can’t stop shaking
I can’t stop touching her and…
This time when kindness falls like rain
It washes her away and Anna begins to change her mind
“These seconds when I’m shaking leave me shuddering for days,” she says
And I’m not ready for this sort of thing
But I’m not going to break and I’m not going to worry about it anymore
I’m not going to bend, and I’m not going to break and I’m not going to worry about it anymore
It seems like I should say, “As long as this is love…”
But it’s not all that easy so maybe I should
Snap her up in a butterfly net Pin her down on a photograph album
I am not worried I’ve done this sort of thing before
But then I start to think about the consequences
Because I don’t get no sleep in a quiet room and…
The time when k indness falls like rain
It washes me away and Anna begin s to change my mind
And eve rytime she sneezes I believe it’s love and
Oh lord, I’m not ready for this sort of thing
She’s talking in her sleep
It’s keeping me awake and Anna begins to toss and turn
And every word is nonsense but I understand and
Oh lord, I’m not ready for this sort of thing
Her kindness bangs a gong
It’s moving me along and Anna begins to fade away
It’s chasing me away
She disappears and
Oh lord, I’m not ready for this sort of thing.”
-Counting Crows
I don’t normally post lyrics in their entirety. This is one of my all time favorite songs and one that nearly drove me to name my daughter after a song. I didn’t. I managed to restrain myself and go another route and not name her Anna. But this has been one of my favorite songs since this album came out.
And because I’m a curious person, sometimes I wonder about the Anna of this song – who she is and how she feels knowing this is about her. But then again, I think too much.
4 comments
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November 22, 2008 at 4:40 pm
music4videos
Thank you for this post, the music has an interesting rhythm and lyrics are fine. I have posted some lyrics and songs on my Music Video Guide you might like to watch.
November 23, 2008 at 1:46 am
"Brad"
All of us with true hearts wonder about distant others at times. Great song.
After the events of tonight for me, I’ll remember that name too.
November 23, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Melanie
This is my all-time favorite Counting Crows song. Something about it just speaks to me.
I know Adam Duritz’s song are essentially all autobiographical – almost to a fault – so I’ve wondered who Anna is, too. I also love the name and have considered naming any daughter I might have that, though it’s a family name as well.
November 23, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Lyrically Me
@Melanie – Same here. I actually thought this was about something else but I saw an interview w/ adam duritz who says that this is about kind of a vacation fling girl (which explains “coconut islands” i suppose). It’s just the whole idea of it – “Every word is nonsense but I understand” – and who wouldn’t want that??