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Cowboys Lyrics
Cowboys on the road tonight
Crying in their sleep
If I was a hungry man with a gun in my hand,
And some promises to keep,
Who wanted to change the world,
What's as easy as murder?
It's all headlights and vapour trails
And Circle K killers
And I know I could look at anyone but you now
I could fall under the eyes of anyone
But you now, now, now, now
So come on, come on, come on
Oh, come on through now
Come on, come on, come on
Oh, come on through now
This is a list of what I should have been
But I'm not
This is a list of the things that I should have seen
But I'm not seeing
The look in your eyes
As his fingertips slid down your neck
And made you shiver
I'm just turning away from where I should have been
Because I am not anything
Oh, anything, oh
The President's in bed tonight
But he can't get to sleep
'Cause all the cowboys on the radio are killers
And I believe she loves you
'Cause you never make her feel like anything
She said, "I wouldn't feel a thing,
But I can feel, I can feel..."
And I know I could look at anyone but you now
I could fall under the arms of anyone
But you now, now, now, now
So come on, come on, come on
Oh, come on through now
Come on, come on, come on
Oh, come on through now
This is a list of what I should have been
But I'm not
This is a list of the things that I should have seen
But I am not seeing
The look in your eyes
As his fingers are unzipping your dress
And it makes you shiver
I'm just turning away from what I shouldn't see
Because I am not anything
Oh, anything, no
Everyone's in bed tonight
But nobody can sleep
'Cause all the satellites are watching through our windows
She says she doesn't love me, like, like she's acting
But it's as if she isn't talking
'Cause Mr. Lincoln's head is bleeding
On the front row while she's speaking
I said, "come on all you cowboys,
All you blue-eyed baby boys,
Oh come on all you dashing gentlemen of summer,
I'll wait for you where Saturday's a memory,
And Sunday comes to gather me,
Into the arms of God who welcome me,
Because I believe, oh I believe..."
And I know I could look at anyone but you now
I could fall under the eyes of anyone
But you now, now, now, now
So come on, come on, come on
Oh, come on through now
Come on, come on, come on
Oh, come on through now
This is a list of what I should have been
But I'm not
This is a list of the things that I should have seen
But I'm not seeing you look at me
So please, won't you look at me?
'Cause I'm not seeing you look at me
Oh, oh, I, I will make you look at me
Or I am not anything
Oh, anything
No no no no
No no no no
No, no.
Crying in their sleep
If I was a hungry man with a gun in my hand,
And some promises to keep,
Who wanted to change the world,
What's as easy as murder?
It's all headlights and vapour trails
And Circle K killers
I could fall under the eyes of anyone
But you now, now, now, now
Oh, come on through now
Come on, come on, come on
Oh, come on through now
But I'm not
This is a list of the things that I should have seen
But I'm not seeing
The look in your eyes
As his fingertips slid down your neck
And made you shiver
I'm just turning away from where I should have been
Because I am not anything
Oh, anything, oh
But he can't get to sleep
'Cause all the cowboys on the radio are killers
And I believe she loves you
'Cause you never make her feel like anything
She said, "I wouldn't feel a thing,
But I can feel, I can feel..."
I could fall under the arms of anyone
But you now, now, now, now
Oh, come on through now
Come on, come on, come on
Oh, come on through now
But I'm not
This is a list of the things that I should have seen
But I am not seeing
The look in your eyes
As his fingers are unzipping your dress
And it makes you shiver
I'm just turning away from what I shouldn't see
Because I am not anything
Oh, anything, no
But nobody can sleep
'Cause all the satellites are watching through our windows
She says she doesn't love me, like, like she's acting
But it's as if she isn't talking
'Cause Mr. Lincoln's head is bleeding
On the front row while she's speaking
All you blue-eyed baby boys,
Oh come on all you dashing gentlemen of summer,
I'll wait for you where Saturday's a memory,
And Sunday comes to gather me,
Into the arms of God who welcome me,
Because I believe, oh I believe..."
I could fall under the eyes of anyone
But you now, now, now, now
Oh, come on through now
Come on, come on, come on
Oh, come on through now
But I'm not
This is a list of the things that I should have seen
But I'm not seeing you look at me
So please, won't you look at me?
'Cause I'm not seeing you look at me
Oh, oh, I, I will make you look at me
Or I am not anything
Oh, anything
No no no no
No no no no
No, no.
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Im not an american, I'm actually Mexican and I hope I don't offed anyone but here are my thoughts:
I think this is in many ways a big republican bash. Adam mentions cowboys on the radio (republican talk shows), he mentiones "blue-eyed baby boys" (George Bush), he mentiones the president not being able to sleep because those cowboys are killers (many republicans are pro Irak)...
He also talkes about nobody being able to sleep beacuse of the satellites (general fear of terrorism and uncertainty in the US)...
I think he can't look at america right now, he feels he is nothing as an american, he knows the country weeps ("but I can feel, I can feel") and looks for comfort in religion ("God who'll welcome me cause I believe"; some very conservative republicans cling to religion as justifcation for questionable actions)
I think his whole album is a kind of cry of dissapointment because of the way america's culture the natoin's political sistem have gone awry in some aspects.
In several other songs from the album he brings up themes related to america's past and present ("I'm a Russian-Jew american native african what I would like to be is Indian Jamaican", or something like that can be heard in 1492) and ("why'de you wanna talk to me when your vision of america is crystaline clean" he sings in Micheallangelo)...
I don't think Adam hates his country (He keeps singing about Omaha and Reno and Miami and all sorts of american destinations) but I do think he has a list of "what it should have been" and right nos is not, he'se just "not seeing it"..
Anyways, my thoughts
I'm also a Mexican (half native american, half jewish, but born in Mexico). I think you're on the right track; multiple readings of any piece of poetry are valid, and your reading makes sense, as there are certainly allusions (satellites, Lincoln's head=pennies=economy, cowboys, "a hungry man with a gun in my hand and some promises to keep"). But there's also another way to read the song--as something about a man's personal breakdown. I see it this way: a cowboy is a musician, a gun is the instrument (guitar, piano, microphone, voice, whatever) that connects you to the music. "I bought...
I'm also a Mexican (half native american, half jewish, but born in Mexico). I think you're on the right track; multiple readings of any piece of poetry are valid, and your reading makes sense, as there are certainly allusions (satellites, Lincoln's head=pennies=economy, cowboys, "a hungry man with a gun in my hand and some promises to keep"). But there's also another way to read the song--as something about a man's personal breakdown. I see it this way: a cowboy is a musician, a gun is the instrument (guitar, piano, microphone, voice, whatever) that connects you to the music. "I bought a gun 'cause it impresses all the little girls I see and then they all want to sleep with me..." That makes the rest of the song a little more beautiful and tragic, I think--it's about the way doing violence to art by using music as a weapon to impress women doesn't get you what you want, it leaves you alone and watching, as the person you consider yourself to be is really just an object to you, you don't know who you are or where you disappear into. So in the end he's saying "well, if I'm a cowboy, I might as well do what the cowboys do and go wait for the showdown at high noon, and to hell with her, and to hell with everyone else, but god damn it I believe..."
This song is amazing. I'm glad someone uploaded the lyrics. If the new album is anything like this song, I am even more excited than before, if that's even possible.
Classic Counting Crows but 50x better (if that's possible ;)
Amazing song. I'm so excited for the rest of the album and glad to hear that Adam and the boys are still rocking!
one comment? Thats it?
i've heard it played live and its on youtube.
great song.
I believe adam said its about hate, sorrow, and more hate. on rollingstone.com it has an interview with adam and he talks about how it most likley wont be the first single off the new album because the radio stations wont like the whole idea of the song (hate, killers, ect.) and that its way too long although they could have a remixed version. Hopefully "Come Around" will be the first single
I'm glad they've returned to their roots
I love the part where he gets to Lincoln and is screamin "Comeon! Comeon! Comeon!" great album this is my favorite b/c its so catchy
This song rules.
I was thinking about this yesterday after I picked up the album. It sounds like a cultural thing, and that he doesn't believe he has the strength to stand up to injustice "This is a list of the things that I should have seen but I am not seeing...I am just turning away from what I shouldn't seen because I am not anything" I think Lincoln is a representation of old ways, justice, etc, etc. I think this is a definite sociopolitical statement, "And I believe she loves you 'Cause you never make her feel like anything" look at that as the social statement, and "Everyone's in bed tonight But nobody can sleep 'Cause all the satellites are watching through our windows" being more the political statement.
I just think, overall, it's a real harsh look at our culture. I think this is his way of looking at everything and saying "Wtf, guys?" lol
My favorite part is "But it's as if she isn't talking, cause Mr. Lincoln's head is bleeding on the front row while she's speaking" and "Come on all you cowboys, all you blue eyed baby boys, come on all you dashing gentlemen of summer...(now this is my absolute favorite) I'll wait for you where Saturday's a memory, and Sunday comes to gather me into the arms of God who'll welcome me because I believe"
I love this song... I think it's just about the shitty side of being human. The song is intense, espically the very end where he breaks down with the "Oh I will make you look at me"
It's insane, the emotion in the end of the song is just huge.. I cannot wait to see them live in a few weeks at Iowa City, first Crows concert and I'm excited, can't wait to hear this live and see what Adam does with it.
I think this song is someone who is taking a look at themselves and their actions and feeling ashamed of how things have gone for themselves and their relationships with others. I think it could be both his own bad choices and the feeling that others aren't fully genuine. When he says that he can look at anyone but you now, its the feeling of letting someone down to the degree where you know that out of anyone you could have dissapointed and hurt, you hurt that person the most. I think the Lincoln line is referring to someone lying to him, due to the whole "honest abe" reference, and if abe bleeding... i dunno, i think this song is great because his choice of words makes way to a larger meaning
I don't quite understand the part about the Lincoln assasanation could some one help me?
I'm not completely sure what it is about some form of self examination i guess. "Because I am not anything." is a pretty powerful line.
Well, if you think about the previous verse:
Well, if you think about the previous verse:
"And I believe she loves you 'Cause you never make her feel like anything"
"And I believe she loves you 'Cause you never make her feel like anything"
The whole Lincoln thing starts to make sense, because then he says:
The whole Lincoln thing starts to make sense, because then he says:
"She says she doesn't love me, like, like she's acting But it's as if she isn't talking 'Cause Mr. Lincoln's head is bleeding On the front row while she's speaking"
"She says she doesn't love me, like, like she's acting But it's as if she isn't talking 'Cause Mr. Lincoln's head is bleeding On the front row while she's speaking"
The reference to her acting, and Lincoln (also known as Honest Abe) can be looked at as she's lying to him about saying she doesn't love him, when she really does, even...
The reference to her acting, and Lincoln (also known as Honest Abe) can be looked at as she's lying to him about saying she doesn't love him, when she really does, even though he doesn't make her "feel like anything", which can also be looked at as a reference to our society: People don't like big government, but people are afraid of life without government even thought he government does sometimes "step in" when it shouldn't, but we still love government.
She says she doesn't love him, in a way that it seems like she's acting, which can be like the attitude of many American's, depending on your outlook, towards government. The reference to Lincoln can be a stronger supporting fact to her lying "on the front row "WHILE" she's speaking". Which can also be a reference towards the "Old American Way", or more simply put, the American Revolution, when the strong values and morals of America were first established. Adam could be referring to the old American "spirit" that sparked the revolution, which was the guts not to back down and stand up for freedom. These days, people are too afraid to towards the government, but back then, people weren't afraid to fight for their rights. So, Adam is acknowledging that the old is gone.
Hope it helps =]
I feel that this song is a general statement of self disappointment in ones actions of letting someone down. ….basically anywhere in your life where you look back and say “damn, I’m an idiot.” I saw that an ex posted the lyrics to this song and I smiled, because he broke up with me. But I don’t feel that this song in particular was looking at a past romantic relationship, that’s just how I applied it to my life.
“This is a list of what I should have been but I'm not”
“And I know I could look at anyone but you now I could fall under the eyes of anyone But you now”