"Counting Blue Cars"
Single by Dishwalla
from the album Pet Your Friends
ReleasedFebruary 27, 1996 (1996-02-27)
GenreAlternative rock[1]
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

"Counting Blue Cars (Tell Me Your Thoughts on God)" 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 US 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.

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.[2] 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.[3]

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. In March 2022, the song received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for digital sales and streams of over 500,000 units.[4]

Track listings and formats

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[4] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States February 27, 1996 CD A&M [4]
April 9, 1996 Contemporary hit radio [29]
Japan December 9, 1996 CD [30]

References

  1. ↑ 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.
  2. ↑ Bambarger, Bradley (May 18, 1996). "The Modern Age". Billboard.
  3. ↑ Wiser, Carl (June 12, 2018). "Dishwalla Founding Frontman JR Richards : Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 "American single certifications – Dishwalla – Counting Blue Cars". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  5. ↑ Counting Blue Cars (US CD Single liner notes). Dishwalla. A&M Records. 1996. 31458 1462 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ↑ Counting Blue Cars (US Cassette Single liner notes). Dishwalla. A&M Records. 1996. 31458 1462 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ↑ Counting Blue Cars (European CD single liner notes). Dishwalla. A&M Records. 1996. 581 934-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ↑ Counting Blue Cars (UK 7-inch vinyl single liner notes). Dishwalla. A&M Records. 1996. 581 978-7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ↑ Counting Blue Cars (US maxi CD single liner notes). Dishwalla. A&M Records. 1996. 581 935-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ↑ Counting Blue Cars (European maxi CD Single liner notes). Dishwalla. A&M Records. 1996. 581 935-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ↑ Counting Blue Cars (Tell Me All Your Thoughts on God) (US CD single liner notes). Dishwalla. A&M Records. 1996. 581 343-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ↑ Counting Blue Cars (Tell Me All Your Thoughts on God) (German maxi CD Single liner notes). Dishwalla. A&M Records. 1996. 581 343-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ↑ Counting Blue Cars (US CD single liner notes). Dishwalla. A&M Records. 1996. 31458 1461 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ↑ Counting Blue Cars (Japanese EP liner notes). Dishwalla. A&M Records. 1996. POCM-1195.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (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. ↑ "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. August 17, 1996. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Adult Pop Airplay". Billboard. October 26, 1996. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Mainstream Rock Airplay". Billboard. June 1, 1996. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Alternative Airplay". Billboard. June 29, 1996. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Pop Airplay". Billboard. September 28, 1996. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Adult Alternative Airplay". Billboard. July 13, 1996. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  23. ↑ "The Year in Music 1996 – Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 52. December 28, 1996. p. YE-32. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved June 3, 2022 – via Google Books.
  24. ↑ "The Year in Music 1996 – Hot Adult Top 40 Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 52. December 28, 1996. p. YE-86. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved June 3, 2022 – via Google Books.
  25. ↑ "The Year in Music 1996 – Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 52. December 28, 1996. p. YE-76. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved June 3, 2022 – via Google Books.
  26. ↑ "The Year in Music 1996 – Hot Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 52. December 28, 1996. p. YE-78. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved June 3, 2022 – via Google Books.
  27. ↑ "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Top 40/Mainstream Titles". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 30.
  28. ↑ "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Triple A Tracks". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 24.
  29. ↑ "Selected New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1140. April 5, 1996. p. 33. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  30. ↑ "カウンティング・ブルー・カーズ/ディッシュ・ワラ" [Counting Blue Cars/Dishwalla] (in Japanese). PolyGram. Archived from the original on March 1, 1997. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
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