Counting Crows: If I Could Give All My Love (Richard Manuel Is Dead)

Written by Adam F. Duritz, performed by Counting Crows
Album: Hard Candy, 2002

Listen:

The inspiration for the song, according to The Counting Crows' lead singer Adam Duritz, came from the sense of "not lasting" he felt when he went to bed and read a newspaper that stated Richard Manuel, a founding member of the Band, had died of an apparent suicide. Manuel was a pianist and vocalist who suffered from bouts of depression -- all abilities and traits shared by Duritz. Duritz stated that the sense of impermanence was "overwhelming" and 15 years after the death of Manuel this sense inspired him to write the song. Duritz prefaces the song in concerts with a brief intro about how Richard Manuel was one of his heros. (Wikipedia).

Lyrics

Got a message in my head
that the papers had all gone
Richard Manuel is dead
And the daylight's coming on
I've been wandering through the dark
now I'm standing on the lawn

[Chorus:]
If I could give all my love to you
I could justify myself
but I'm just not coming through
You're a pill to ease the pain
of all the stupid things I do
I'm an anchor on the line
of a clock that tells the time
that is running out on you

Well it was cold when i woke
and the day was halfway done
Nearly spring in San Francisco
but I cannot feel the sun
you were sleeping next to me
but I knew that you'd be gone

[Chorus]

Take some time before you go
think of monday's coming down
and the people that you knew
The ones that aren't around
you've been fading day to day
I've been moving town to town

[Chorus]