Just down the street from your hotel, baby
I stay at home with my disease
And ain't this position familiar, darling
Well, all monkeys do what they see
Help me stay awake, I'm falling...

Down on Virginia and La Loma
Where I got friends who'll care for me
You got an attitude of everything I ever wanted
I got an attitude of need
Help me stay awake, I'm falling...

Asleep in perfect blue buildings
Beside the green apple sea
Gonna get me a little oblivion
Try to keep myself away from me

It's 4:30 A.M. on a Tuesday
It doesn't get much worse than this
In beds in little rooms in buildings in the middle
of these lives which are completely meaningless
Help me stay awake, I'm falling...

Asleep in perfect blue buildings
Beside the green apple sea
Gonna get me a little oblivion
Try to keep myself away from myself and me

I got bones beneath my skin, and mister...
There's a skeleton in every man's house
Beneath the dust and love and sweat that hangs on everybody
There's a dead man trying to get out
Please help me stay awake, I'm falling...

Asleep in perfect blue buildings
Beside the green apple sea
Gonna get me a little oblivion baby
Try to keep myself away from me

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Perfect Blue Buildings Lyrics as written by Ben G Mize Adam Fredric Duritz

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Perfect Blue Buildings song meanings

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63 Comments

+3
General Comment
I love this song. It's beautiful in that sad, oddly calming way. I know it's about depression, but that's what it does for me. I can kick back and listen to it forever.

I love this song. It's beautiful in that sad, oddly calming way. I know it's about depression, but that's what it does for me. I can kick back and listen to it forever.

Reason:

Jusaon October 05, 2002 Link
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That's exactly how I feel about most counting crows songs.
It's very strange, knowing the lyrics, and what the song means, when it's a song like this, yet still being able to relax and feel almost comforted by him.
It reminds me of children's nursary rhymes, those that are comforting to a chlid but have violent or scary meanings.
But this song, I think, is incredible, Counting Crows are amazing musicians.

KizzieGrayon November 26, 2010
+3
General Comment
this song is about heroin addiction and a person who is jonsing for a fix. He's trying to fight of the urge "try to keep myself from me". When you're coming off heroin you can't sleep at that's where the it's 4:30 am on a tuesday-it doesn't get much worse than this. I've been in his shoes before. He want's to get himself some oblivion--i.e., heroin high. It suck's to be where he's at--it suck's real bad.

this song is about heroin addiction and a person who is jonsing for a fix. He's trying to fight of the urge "try to keep myself from me". When you're coming off heroin you can't sleep at that's where the it's 4:30 am on a tuesday-it doesn't get much worse than this. I've been in his shoes before. He want's to get himself some oblivion--i.e., heroin high. It suck's to be where he's at--it suck's real bad.

Reason:

fritzrxon October 08, 2010 Link
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@fritzrx this is the dumbest interpretation possible for this song. You people need to fight the urge to say "iTz AbOuT hErOiN" ???????????????? to every single song you hear. Wake the hell up, not everything is about fucking drugs.

93beren104on June 04, 2022

@fritzrx this is the dumbest interpretation possible for this song. You people need to fight the urge to say "iTz AbOuT hErOiN" ???????????????? to every single song you hear. Wake the hell up, not everything is about fucking drugs.

93beren104on June 04, 2022

@fritzrx this is the dumbest interpretation possible for this song. You people need to fight the urge to say "iTz AbOuT hErOiN" ???????????????? to every single song you hear. Wake the hell up, not everything is about fucking drugs.

93beren104on June 04, 2022
+2
General Comment
Captain, you've got it all wrong. The disease he's referring to, is boredom! Just look at the line "In beds in little rooms in buildings in the middle of these lives which are completely meaningless"... It's practically giving itself away. The perfect blue buildings are symbols of what can make life boring; that everything's perfect. This is mentioned in several CC songs, to quote Monkey: "Hey monkey, what's life without an occasional surprise"

Captain, you've got it all wrong. The disease he's referring to, is boredom! Just look at the line "In beds in little rooms in buildings in the middle of these lives which are completely meaningless"... It's practically giving itself away. The perfect blue buildings are symbols of what can make life boring; that everything's perfect. This is mentioned in several CC songs, to quote Monkey: "Hey monkey, what's life without an occasional surprise"

Reason:

mandaloron May 02, 2002 Link
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@mandalor
+2
General Comment
Adam stated once that "this song is about me." It's about depression. His disease is depression. The "beds in little room" statement is just a statement about how meaningless life is to a person sometimes. Keep me awake? - it is about depression again and not falling for the unrealistic fantasies a person can have when they are depressed. Sleeping too much is closely related with depression. Probably the most depressing crows song, and one of the most depressing songs in music.

Adam stated once that "this song is about me." It's about depression. His disease is depression. The "beds in little room" statement is just a statement about how meaningless life is to a person sometimes. Keep me awake? - it is about depression again and not falling for the unrealistic fantasies a person can have when they are depressed. Sleeping too much is closely related with depression. Probably the most depressing crows song, and one of the most depressing songs in music.

Reason:

divicanon July 29, 2002 Link
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@divican
+2
General Comment
lol, don't all artists say that what a song means to you is what it's about? *shrugs* i'd say it's about depression but there are parts of it that made me think heroin as well, and also i hadnt thought of the AIDs thing, but looking over it, it's possible.

lol, don't all artists say that what a song means to you is what it's about? *shrugs* i'd say it's about depression but there are parts of it that made me think heroin as well, and also i hadnt thought of the AIDs thing, but looking over it, it's possible.

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evil_killer_phoneon June 15, 2003 Link
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@evil_killer_phone
+2
General Comment
this song is definitely about depression. i know this because i am clinically depressed, and when i hear this song, it speaks very clearly to me. "i stay at home with my disease" is definitely a familiar thing to people with depression. i've often stayed home in bed all day, just crying because i feel so helpless. odd sleep patterns are also common, as i am always tired and yet can never make myself go to bed early. instead i stay awake, hours into the night and early morning, reflecting on how miserable i am. "it's 4:30 am on a tuesday, things don't get much worse than this" is pretty self-explanatory. while it's interesting to see others' interpretations of this beautifully tragic song, it's about depression and loneliness, and nothing more.

this song is definitely about depression. i know this because i am clinically depressed, and when i hear this song, it speaks very clearly to me. "i stay at home with my disease" is definitely a familiar thing to people with depression. i've often stayed home in bed all day, just crying because i feel so helpless. odd sleep patterns are also common, as i am always tired and yet can never make myself go to bed early. instead i stay awake, hours into the night and early morning, reflecting on how miserable i am. "it's 4:30 am on a tuesday, things don't get much worse than this" is pretty self-explanatory. while it's interesting to see others' interpretations of this beautifully tragic song, it's about depression and loneliness, and nothing more.

Reason:

ButterflyInReverseon March 10, 2003 Link
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@ButterflyInReverse
+2
General Comment
alright im not even going to try to jump into this debate on what the song is about. however, my favorite line is: "Beneath the dust and love and sweat that hangs on everybody, There's a dead man trying to get out." just such a beautiful line.

alright im not even going to try to jump into this debate on what the song is about. however, my favorite line is: "Beneath the dust and love and sweat that hangs on everybody, There's a dead man trying to get out." just such a beautiful line.

Reason:

regardemylasheskgmon December 12, 2004 Link
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@regardemylasheskgm
+2
General Comment
This song to me is depression. "How am I gonna keep myself away from me?" I am have dealt with and am dealing with severe depression... and keeping yourself safe from yourself is the hardest thing. And when we are alone with the disease, that is when it is most dangerous.

This song to me is depression. "How am I gonna keep myself away from me?" I am have dealt with and am dealing with severe depression... and keeping yourself safe from yourself is the hardest thing. And when we are alone with the disease, that is when it is most dangerous.

Reason:

monkeybearon March 21, 2006 Link
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@monkeybear
+1
General Comment
The verses are about how horrifyingly gray and mundane and pointless life in general can be. Nothing catastrophic. Little horrors. Envy of other people. Deep need that is unsatisfied. Boredom. And so the chorus is about how seductive coma-visions are: these dreams of placidity, colors, shapes that are so clean. But the peace is a trap to the person in the song; he doesn't want to fall prey to the visions.

The verses are about how horrifyingly gray and mundane and pointless life in general can be. Nothing catastrophic. Little horrors. Envy of other people. Deep need that is unsatisfied. Boredom. And so the chorus is about how seductive coma-visions are: these dreams of placidity, colors, shapes that are so clean. But the peace is a trap to the person in the song; he doesn't want to fall prey to the visions.

Reason:

mattstfcon September 03, 2005 Link
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@mattstfc
+1
General Comment
I'll throw in another vote that it's about depression and suicidal thinking. I've always thought it's pretty clear. He's sick of the pointlessness of life, he's awake at 4:30am saying "it doesn't get much worse than this," he stays at home because he's too depressed. He's thinking about killing himself ("gonna get me a little oblivion") but he's ambivalent about it ("keep myself away from me.") Like monkeybear pointed out, I am sure a lot of people who have experienced depression understand the ambivalence of suicidal feelings and the idea that you want to keep yourself safe from your own suicidal impulses.

I'll throw in another vote that it's about depression and suicidal thinking. I've always thought it's pretty clear. He's sick of the pointlessness of life, he's awake at 4:30am saying "it doesn't get much worse than this," he stays at home because he's too depressed. He's thinking about killing himself ("gonna get me a little oblivion") but he's ambivalent about it ("keep myself away from me.") Like monkeybear pointed out, I am sure a lot of people who have experienced depression understand the ambivalence of suicidal feelings and the idea that you want to keep yourself safe from your own suicidal impulses.

Reason:

sorrelon November 23, 2007 Link
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@sorrel

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Perfect Blue Buildings

Counting Crows

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