Girls, girls, girls

I was listening to some Counting Crows this morning. And I was contemplating something. On one of their songs, he sings, “I wish I was a girl/So that you could believe me”. Ostensibly, he believes because he’s a guy he is inherently untrustworthy? Youch. But doesn’t he see that if he was a girl, then she would have to be a lesbian for his romantic thoughts to make sense? Or maybe she IS a lesbian! Dun-dun-dun.

Also, this song is one of the 4 or 5 songs that Adam Duritz wrote about a girl named Elizabeth. Is this just a name he likes? Or is there really an Elizabeth out there that he’s pining after? Or is there a girl but her codename is Elizabeth? If so, is it one of the Friends’ friends he has? He was purportedly friends with both Jennifer Aniston and Courtney Cox.

I feel like it would be rough to date a songwriter that had written 4 or 5 songs about a girl that was named in his song. If it’s unnamed, then it could be about anyone and is sort of universal. But if it’s named, you can’t even pretend it’s about you. Because it’s so clearly not. So I wonder if girls that date Adam Duritz secretly seethe into the night about this Elizabeth and want to kill her wherever she is.

I also think that the songs always outlast the girls. And often times, the girls actually could care less about the songs. Which is what makes the whole affair Quioxtidian in nature. They’re chasing after something that no longer exists.

Consciously or no, I have never named a real girl in a song that was written about a real girl. You know, that could be a fun book or tv show—to go and track down all of these girls(or guys, let’s not be sexist, Shelkey). But let’s think about them:

Jenny(867-5309)
Rosalita(Bruce)
Sarah(could be any number of ones.. Sarah Smiles, or Sarah)
Brandy(you’re a fine girl)
Sherry(4 Seasons)
Donna(Oh Donna by Richie Valens)
Ray(by Aimmee Mann)
Martha(by Tom Waits)

Who else?? Write more in the comments and I will start compiling them and then contact you when we do the tv show. Tell me you wouldn’t watch this on VH1.