Counting Crows – Goodnight Elisabeth

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  Song Meaning:Yeah, Adam's comments that bfng3569 posted pretty much correlate with what I get from the song. Elisabeth is an ex-girlfriend that the speaker still loves dearly and thinks about often, even though he knows it's over. He talks about how he's unhappy (we couldn't all be cowboys, so some of us are clowns), and how even when he's with another girl who is supposed to be distracting him from Elisabeth, he's still thinking about her. Even though he's not with her, he's still loving and thinking about her. Kind of an "unconditional love" song.

  Flag glasshouseson April 02, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:ya i also saw this live and he explained it as everyone said elisabeth had left him but SHE IS NOT DEAD PEOPLE. and adam also stated that this was the most bitter song he has ever written.

  Flag jamiedxxon August 13, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:he is in love, and she was the flame in his life. and time and again, he sets himself on fire, and walks out on the wire. means taking a chance, so even though love hasnt been too good to him, like the tightrope walker, he sets himself onfire again and again, and if she wraps herself in daffodils, is symbolic for someone dying. be it that she is as good as dead to him, or he hurts like she had died, or if it was how he felt, no one may really ever know.
  most poetry has dual meanings. he may have written all of his songs to tell his own story, with dual sympolism to mean broader things to appeal to the masses. that is a mark of a true artist and poet.
  ever listen to dylans lyrics....

  Flag katrison March 14, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:Also in a live version of the song "Rain King" they ended it with
  
  "Goodnight Elisabeth, so sorry now
  but I am a rain king and
  she said so why dont you just come out of the rain"

  Flag SaySomethingon May 27, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:the end of the song is missing!!!!!!
  
  "If you wrap yourself in daffodils I will wrap myself in pain" pretty but does anyone know what it means? thanks

  Flag yellow-tulipon April 27, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:to me this song is about being completly in love with a girl. one who is probably to good for you to start with, and you blow any chance you have with her. and now all you want to do is check to see if she is ok, and simple say goodnight.
  
  I was wasted in the afternoon---- i dont take this litteraly, i think this is a way of displaying his flaws.
  
  Waiting on a train---- i think here he is saying he is running away from the one thing he truly wants.
  
  I woke up in pieces and Elisabeth had disappeared again----- he is saying that he awoke an emotional mess and now he chances with elisabeth are over.
  
  
  
  We couldn't all be cowboys
  So some of us are clowns--------he is saying we all cant be great, he uses cowboy as way of saying we cant all be that rich, handsom, guy all the rils want, wich is why i said he is probably not good enough for her at all.
  
  I hope that everybody can find a little flame
  Me, I say my prayers, then I just light myself on fire
  And I walk out on the wire once again-------here is saying he hopes every finds the one they are ment to be with, and he is going to try and move on from elisabeth, and even after that he still just wants to sy goodnight to her.
  
  I'll wait for you while she slips in something comfortable
  And I'll miss you when I'm slipping in between---- he is saying he still misses elisabeth even though he now is fucking this new girl.
  
  If you wrap yourself in daffodils
  I will wrap myself in pain
  And if you're the queen of california
  Baby I am the king of the rain
  
  i think both these lines say the some thing she is doing good while he is not.
  
  and he lastly just says goodnight

  Flag cox_is_godon April 16, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:You've missed out one of the best sections! Comes after all the lyrics already submitted:
  
  "...the moon's a sattelite, yeah,
  and i want you to fall down
  on me now
  won’t you fall...down...on...me?
  oh come, come
  fall down
  on me now
  won’t you fall down on me?
  ‘til i'm all alone
  you ain't coming home
  we just settle down, down, down into (bones?)
  i said i'm all alone
  and you aren't coming home
  we just settle down, down, down into bones"
  
  live version is kinda different, with this alternative to the last couple of lines:
  ”Don’t you miss the mornings?
  Don’t you miss those days?
  Don’t you miss me baby, coz I’m fading away

  Flag Lissetteon March 28, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:You've missed out one of the best sections! Comes after all the lyrics already submitted:
  
  "...the moon's a sattelite, yeah,
  and i want you to fall down
  on me now
  won’t you fall...down...on...me?
  oh come, come
  fall down
  on me now
  won’t you fall down on me?
  ‘til i'm all alone
  you ain't coming home
  we just settle down, down, down into (bones?)
  i said i'm all alone
  and you aren't coming home
  we just settle down, down, down into bones"
  
  live version is kinda different, with this alternative to the last couple of lines:
  ”Don’t you miss the mornings?
  Don’t you miss those days?
  Don’t you miss me baby, coz I’m fading away

  Flag Lissetteon March 28, 2007   Link

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      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:You've missed out one of the best sections! Comes after all the lyrics already submitted:
  
  "...the moon's a sattelite, yeah,
  and i want you to fall down
  on me now
  won’t you fall...down...on...me?
  oh come, come
  fall down
  on me now
  won’t you fall down on me?
  ‘til i'm all alone
  you ain't coming home
  we just settle down, down, down into (bones?)
  i said i'm all alone
  and you aren't coming home
  we just settle down, down, down into bones"
  
  live version is kinda different, with this alternative to the last couple of lines:
  ”Don’t you miss the mornings?
  Don’t you miss those days?
  Don’t you miss me baby, coz I’m fading away

  Flag Lissetteon March 28, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:i too saw cc in concert (beautiful night with a harvest moon that looked like it could be on their next cd cover). he sounded pretty bitter about this song. he said she "dicked him over".

  Flag duellynotedon December 20, 2005   Link

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