Counting Blue Cars

"Counting Blue Cars" is a song by American alternative rock band Dishwalla from their 1995 A&M Records album Pet Your Friends. It is their only hit song, peaking at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the same magazine's Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1996. It received two ASCAP awards (1997 and 1998) as the most played song of the year on radio in the United States.

"Counting Blue Cars"
Single by Dishwalla
from the album Pet Your Friends
ReleasedFebruary 27, 1996 (1996-02-27)[1]
Recorded1994–1995
GenreAlternative rock[2]
Length4:51
LabelA&M
Songwriter(s)
  • Scot Alexander
  • Rodney Browning Cravens
  • Greg Kolanek
  • J. R. Richards
  • George Pendergast
Producer(s)
  • Phil Nicolo
  • Dishwalla
Dishwalla singles chronology
"Haze"
(1996)		 "Counting Blue Cars"
(1996)		 "Charlie Brown's Parents"
(1998)
Music video
"Counting Blue Cars" on YouTube

The song was featured in the films Empire Records and Eight Days a Week, as well as the How I Met Your Mother episode "The Stamp Tramp", and Hindsight.

Writing and inspiration

Dishwalla lead singer J. R. Richards wrote 'Counting Blue Cars' "rather quickly", telling the "story of a young boy's spiritual journey". He said the lyrics are about a conversation with the child within himself, but was inspired by an actual chat with his 10-year-old neighbor.[3] Richards said:

From that younger perspective, I think we take things in a much more honest way because we are not being biased by how we're supposed to all think the same. So this idea of God, being an omnipotent being, could be a male or female. We always refer to God as a male, so why not make it a female? I started creating imagery to describe this journey, trying to think about what it was like to be a kid and the things that you would do. It quickly came together - I didn't think too much about it. But it did end up being one of the songs that really affected people both positively and negatively. I never thought I'd ever have a song I'd get death threats for writing.[4]

As quoted, Richards received death threats after the single's release from listeners who were upset about God's depiction as a female in the song.

Chart performance

"Counting Blue Cars" was highly popular on the radio, peaking at number four on pop airplay and number five on Hot AC airplay in 1996. It became a number-one Modern Rock Track for one week in June 1996 and a number two Mainstream Rock Track. It peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and showed longevity by remaining on the chart for nearly a year at 48 weeks. It was also featured in the 1997 film Eight Days a Week.

Track listings and formats

Charts

References
  1. https://www.amazon.com/Counting-Blue-Cars/dp/B000006L2R
  2. Cosores, Philip (July 4, 2017). "Ranking: Every Alternative Rock No. 1 Hit from Worst to Best". Consequence of Sound. p. 10. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  3. Bambarger, Bradley (May 18, 1996). "The Modern Age". Billboard.
  4. "Dishwalla Founding Frontman JR Richards". Songfacts. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  5. Counting Blue Cars (US CD Single liner notes). Dishwalla. A&M Records. 1996. 31458 1462 2.CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. Counting Blue Cars (US Cassette Single liner notes). Dishwalla. A&M Records. 1996. 31458 1462 4.CS1 maint: others (link)
  7. Counting Blue Cars (EU CD Single liner notes). Dishwalla. A&M Records. 1996. 581 934-2.CS1 maint: others (link)
  8. Counting Blue Cars (UK 7-inch Vinyl Single liner notes). Dishwalla. A&M Records. 1996. 581 978-7.CS1 maint: others (link)
  9. Counting Blue Cars (US Maxi CD Single liner notes). Dishwalla. A&M Records. 1996. 581 935-2.CS1 maint: others (link)
  10. Counting Blue Cars (EU Maxi CD Single liner notes). Dishwalla. A&M Records. 1996. 581 935-2.CS1 maint: others (link)
  11. Counting Blue Cars (Tell Me All Your Thoughts on God) (US CD-one Single liner notes). Dishwalla. A&M Records. 1996. 581 343-2.CS1 maint: others (link)
  12. Counting Blue Cars (Tell Me All Your Thoughts on God) (GER Maxi CD Single liner notes). Dishwalla. A&M Records. 1996. 581 343-2.CS1 maint: others (link)
  13. Counting Blue Cars (US CD-two Single liner notes). Dishwalla. A&M Records. 1996. 31458 1461 2.CS1 maint: others (link)
  14. Counting Blue Cars (JP EP liner notes). Dishwalla. A&M Records. 1996. POCM-1195.CS1 maint: others (link)
  15. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3041." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  16. "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 3025." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  17. "Dishwalla Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  18. "Dishwalla Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  19. "Dishwalla Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  20. "Dishwalla Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
  21. "Dishwalla Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
  22. "Dishwalla Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  23. "Billboard Top 100 – 1996". Archived from the original on March 1, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
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