Mr. Jones
Encyclopedia
"Mr. Jones" is a song by American
alternative rock
band
Counting Crows
. It is the lead single
and third track from their debut album, August and Everything After
(1993
). It was the band's first radio hit and remains their most popular single.
on February 19, 1994, and entered the Top 10 five weeks later. On April 23, "Mr. Jones" passed R. Kelly
's "Bump n' Grind
", taking the number-one position (which it surrendered, the following week, to Prince's "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World").
The band's surprise success happened to coincide with Kurt Cobain
's death. These events took a significant toll on Adam Duritz
, the lead vocalist and principal songwriter. Said Duritz in an interview: "We heard that, that [Kurt] had shot himself. And it really scared the hell out of me because I thought, these things in my life are getting so out of control...". These events and feelings were the basis for "Catapult", the first track of Recovering the Satellites
.
The primary topic of the song itself is perhaps how two struggling musicians (Duritz and bassist
Marty Jones of The Himalayans
) "want to be big stars," believing that "when everybody loves me, I will never be lonely." Duritz would later recant these values, and in later concert appearances, "Mr. Jones" was played in a subdued acoustic style, if at all. Most directly referencing this, on the live CD Across a Wire
Duritz changes the lyrics "We all wanna be big, big stars, but we got different reasons for that" to "We all wanna be big, big stars, but then we get second thoughts about that," and "when everybody loves you, sometimes that's just about as funky as you can be" to "when everybody loves you, sometimes that's just about as fucked up as you can be."
The song is often interpreted differently. Some believe it is a thinly veiled reference to the protagonist of Bob Dylan's "Ballad of a Thin Man
", a theory supported by the lyric "I wanna be Bob Dylan
, Mr. Jones wishes he was someone just a little more funky." Others have suggested that Mr. Jones refers to flamenco guitarist David Serva (Marty Jones's father), although the lyric "she dances while his father plays guitar" seems to suggest Mr Jones' father is another separate character within the song. Another possibility is that Mr. Jones is an imaginary friend.
When the Counting Crows performed the song during the Recovering the Satellites tour, it would often include the first verse from The Byrds
' "So You Want to Be a Rock and Roll Star?" This version was often acoustic and was even performed on VH1
's Storytellers
.
According to Duritz, the song title had a hand in the naming by Jonathan Pontell of "Generation Jones
," the group of people born between 1954 and 1965. "I feel honored that my song Mr. Jones was part of the inspiration for the name 'Generation Jones.'"
did a cover of "Mr. Jones" which was released in 2004 on the album Dead and Dreaming: An Indie Tribute to the Counting Crows.
In 2008, the song was parodied by The Fringemunks
to recap Fringe
episode 1.07, "In Which We Meet Mr. Jones
."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
Counting Crows
Counting Crows
Counting Crows is an American rock band originating from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1991, the group gained popularity following the release of its debut album in 1993, August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones"...
. It is the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
and third track from their debut album, August and Everything After
August and Everything After
August and Everything After is the first commercially released album of the American rock band Counting Crows, released September 14, 1993....
(1993
1993 in music
This is a summary of significant events in music in 1993.-January–February:*January 8 – The U.S. Postal Service issues an Elvis Presley stamp. The design was voted on in February 1992....
). It was the band's first radio hit and remains their most popular single.
Overview
"Mr. Jones" entered the American Top 40American Top 40
American Top 40 is an internationally syndicated, independent radio program created by Casey Kasem, Don Bustany, Tom Rounds and Ron Jacobs. Originally a production of Watermark Inc...
on February 19, 1994, and entered the Top 10 five weeks later. On April 23, "Mr. Jones" passed R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
's "Bump n' Grind
Bump n' Grind
"Bump n' Grind" is a song written, produced and performed by R&B musician R. Kelly. It was the second single released from his first solo album 12 Play in 1994. The track became a number one single on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 , and it also spent twelve weeks at number one on the U.S...
", taking the number-one position (which it surrendered, the following week, to Prince's "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World").
The band's surprise success happened to coincide with Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
's death. These events took a significant toll on Adam Duritz
Adam Duritz
Adam Fredric Duritz is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and film producer. He is best known for his role as frontman and vocalist for the rock band Counting Crows, in which he is a founding member and principal composer of their catalogue of songs.Duritz has recorded solo...
, the lead vocalist and principal songwriter. Said Duritz in an interview: "We heard that, that [Kurt] had shot himself. And it really scared the hell out of me because I thought, these things in my life are getting so out of control...". These events and feelings were the basis for "Catapult", the first track of Recovering the Satellites
Recovering the Satellites
-External links:**...
.
The primary topic of the song itself is perhaps how two struggling musicians (Duritz and bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Marty Jones of The Himalayans
The Himalayans
The Himalayans were a rock band formed in San Francisco in 1990 by Dan Jewett and Chris Roldan. They prided themselves on the quality of their live performances, putting considerable effort into audio engineering to get a "studio" sound in live venues....
) "want to be big stars," believing that "when everybody loves me, I will never be lonely." Duritz would later recant these values, and in later concert appearances, "Mr. Jones" was played in a subdued acoustic style, if at all. Most directly referencing this, on the live CD Across a Wire
Across a Wire: Live in New York City
Across a Wire: Live in New York City is the third album released by Counting Crows, released on July 14, 1998. It is a double-live album, featuring songs from their first two albums, August and Everything After and Recovering the Satellites...
Duritz changes the lyrics "We all wanna be big, big stars, but we got different reasons for that" to "We all wanna be big, big stars, but then we get second thoughts about that," and "when everybody loves you, sometimes that's just about as funky as you can be" to "when everybody loves you, sometimes that's just about as fucked up as you can be."
The song is often interpreted differently. Some believe it is a thinly veiled reference to the protagonist of Bob Dylan's "Ballad of a Thin Man
Ballad of a Thin Man
"Ballad of a Thin Man" is a song written and recorded by Bob Dylan, released on the album Highway 61 Revisited in 1965.-Meaning:"Ballad of a Thin Man" comments on a conventional "Mr. Jones", who walks into a room of intentionally bizarre circus freaks and doesn't "know what's happening".The...
", a theory supported by the lyric "I wanna be Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Mr. Jones wishes he was someone just a little more funky." Others have suggested that Mr. Jones refers to flamenco guitarist David Serva (Marty Jones's father), although the lyric "she dances while his father plays guitar" seems to suggest Mr Jones' father is another separate character within the song. Another possibility is that Mr. Jones is an imaginary friend.
When the Counting Crows performed the song during the Recovering the Satellites tour, it would often include the first verse from The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
' "So You Want to Be a Rock and Roll Star?" This version was often acoustic and was even performed on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's Storytellers
VH1 Storytellers
Storytellers is a television music series produced by the VH1 network.In each episode artists perform in front of a live audience, and tell stories about their music, writing experiences and memories, somewhat similar to MTV Unplugged...
.
According to Duritz, the song title had a hand in the naming by Jonathan Pontell of "Generation Jones
Generation Jones
Generation Jones is a term coined by Jonathan Pontell to describe the generation of people born between 1954 and 1965. The term is used primarily in English-speaking countries....
," the group of people born between 1954 and 1965. "I feel honored that my song Mr. Jones was part of the inspiration for the name 'Generation Jones.'"
Cover versions
The band Hidden in Plain ViewHidden in Plain View
Hidden in Plain View was a five-piece Pop Punk band from northern New Jersey. They formed in 2000 and disbanded in 2007. During their six and a half year run, the group released records with four different record labels , including two full-length albums and three EPs...
did a cover of "Mr. Jones" which was released in 2004 on the album Dead and Dreaming: An Indie Tribute to the Counting Crows.
In 2008, the song was parodied by The Fringemunks
The Fringemunks
The Fringemunks are a music group created by Seattle musician David Wu in 2008 consisting of three "cloned" anthropomorphic chipmunks: Feebo, Notchy and Pie. They are known mostly for recapping all episodes of Fox television series Fringe with song parodies...
to recap Fringe
Fringe (TV series)
Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The series follows a Federal Bureau of Investigation "Fringe Division" team based in Boston, Massachusetts under the supervision of Homeland Security...
episode 1.07, "In Which We Meet Mr. Jones
In Which We Meet Mr. Jones
"In Which We Meet Mr. Jones" is the seventh episode of the first season of the American science fiction drama television series Fringe. The episode was written by J. J. Abrams and Jeff Pinkner, and directed by Brad Anderson...
."
Track listings
- "Mr. Jones" (LP version) – 4:32
- "Raining in Baltimore" (LP version) – 4:42
- "Mr. Jones" (acoustic version) – 4:44
- "Rain KingRain King (Counting Crows song)"Rain King" is a single by the rock band Counting Crows. It was released as the band's fourth single . The title is a reference to Saul Bellow's Henderson the Rain King....
" (acoustic version) – 5:10
Charts
| Chart (1993–1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 13 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 27 |
| Dutch Mega Top 100 | 42 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 7 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart | 49 |
| UK Singles Chart | 28 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 25 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 2 |
External links
- "Mr. Jones" at Counting CrowsCounting CrowsCounting Crows is an American rock band originating from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1991, the group gained popularity following the release of its debut album in 1993, August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones"...
' official web site. - "Mr. Jones" at Lyrics Undercover: a podcast explaining the lyrics of the song and the identity of Mr. Jones.