Radio 85, side A, track 8: “Mr. Jones” by Counting Crows

Oh, Counting Crows, if this doesn’t scream college, I don’t know what does.  Hell, Counting Crows, I know I’m old, but I feel like this song would still resonate for the incoming freshmen that are now old enough to be my kids.  Good god, that is crazy, Counting Crows.  I honestly didn’t think I’d crack 40, so listening to the songs I was jamming out to when I myself was a college freshmen can be a little surreal.

I really only knew bits and pieces of this song even though I heard it ALL the time when it came out (not complaining, it’s great, just making it clear that this was a huge hit), so had I actually been paying attention to it and that it’s about two shlubs at a bar wishing that they could be with pretty girls and also be famous, plus references to Picasso and Bob Dylan, well damn, Counting Crows, I could have used this to pick up women myself.  When this song came on, I could have talked about the price of fame and the genius of Bob Dylan and how y’all just didn’t want to be lonely and how I could totally relate, I didn’t want to be lonely. . .that would have WORKED!  Instead, I was staring at the beautiful women and not paying attention to you.  I should have been multi-tasking and doing both.  But she definitely wasn’t looking at me.

lyrics to “Mr. Jones”