Somewhere in middle America
I blame (or thank?) the cute boy with a guitar who I heard play ‘Omaha’ when I was 17 for the fact that I’ve been stuck on the Counting Crows ever since. I saw them in concert for the sixth time over the weekend, and it’s probably a very small percentage of people who have seen the same artist/band six different times. And if it’s up to me, this won’t be the last.
Sometimes I try and pinpoint what it is about them that so appeals to me. True that the sound is a wonderful blend of mellow, soulful, and folksy. I love that the lyrics are complex, they are not trite or predictable. From the first song on their very first album, which opens with this line: “Step out the front door like a ghost into a fog where no one notices the contrast of white on white.” It’s so novel and descriptive. I also love the fact that it’s a true band, a bunch of guys up there playing actual instruments, and a variety of them. It’s harmony, too. Just a true expression to me of what I want a band to be.
So sure, there are all those things. But there is also just a quality I can’t describe. There is a way I feel when I listen to their music. And in this way, it reminds me of those things in life we feel pulled toward even if we can’t easily (or completely) articulate why. Maybe it’s a certain hobby or interest, or perhaps a place we have always wanted to live and can’t shake the urge to move there. There are companies or causes we feel devoted to, or moved to join. There are people, romantic partners perhaps, we could feel drawn to for reasons that we can’t explain. Homes we decide to purchase despite other homes that would appear to be better suited to our needs.
Why do we do these things? There doesn’t have to be a reason, to me it’s just one of the more amazing parts of being human. Some things can’t be explained. Some things may not make sense. Some things we just know. Or feel. Some things capture us, our attention, our interest, our hearts. And the best thing I’ve learned from the Counting Crows is that it’s the heart that matters more.