Hanging Tree (Counting Crows song)

Last updated
"Hanging Tree"
Song by Counting Crows
from the album Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings
ReleasedMarch 25, 2008 (2008-03-25)
Genre Alternative rock
Length3:50
Label Geffen
Composer(s) Dan Vickrey
Lyricist(s) Adam Duritz
Producer(s) Gil Norton

"Hanging Tree" is the second track on Counting Crows' 2008 album Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings .

Song Meaning

Duritz has cited in interviews that the angst he felt not being around his grandmother for a long time due to frequent touring, up until her death while he was in Perth, Australia, inspired this song: [1]

In the last five years of her life I barely saw her because I was always working. She didn't recognize me. To her I was this fat, hairy, bearded guy with dreadlocks. I think I scared her some of the time. And then it was too late......It's about losing that girl. It's a snapshot about when I am very much in love but I know I have to leave ... I wasn't good at being caring. It was a lot to handle me. I was 10,000 miles away and I wasn't there for her.

Duritz explained in an April 2008 interview the broader meaning of the song: [2]

‘Hanging Tree’ is about looking in a very banal way. Sitting in a cafeteria with someone and losing your connection with someone in a very angry way in the most banal conversations in a cafeteria.

As with the tracks "Sundays" and "Insignificant", imagery pertaining to the Greek myth of Icarus appears in the song, specifically in the lyric: "I got a pair of wings for my birthday and I'll fall down through the sun this evening."

Duritz reportedly preferred having either this song or "When I Dream of Michelangelo" released as the lead single, as he believed either one of those tracks better represented the album as a whole thematically, in contrast to "You Can't Count on Me".

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Counting Crows</span> American alternative rock band

Counting Crows is an American rock band from San Francisco, California. Formed in 1991, the band consists of guitarist David Bryson, drummer Jim Bogios, vocalist Adam Duritz, keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, multi-instrumentalist David Immerglück, bass guitarist Millard Powers, and guitarist Dan Vickrey. Past members include the drummers Steve Bowman (1991–1994) and Ben Mize (1994–2002), and bass guitarist Matt Malley (1991–2005).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Duritz</span> American musician

Adam Fredric Duritz is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and film producer. He is known as the frontman for the rock band Counting Crows, of which he is a founding member and principal composer. Since its founding in 1991, Counting Crows has sold over 20 million records, released seven studio albums that have been certified gold or platinum, and been nominated for two Grammy Awards and an Academy Award.

<i>This Desert Life</i> 1999 studio album by Counting Crows

This Desert Life is the third studio album from American rock band Counting Crows. The cover art is by noted comic book artist Dave McKean, best known for his work with Neil Gaiman, and was adapted from the cover art McKean did for Gaiman's picture book The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish. The album had sold more than 2 million copies worldwide by February 2002. The song "Hanginaround" was the first of three singles released from the album, and the highest-charting single off the album, reaching number 1 on the US Billboard Adult Alternative Songs chart and number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as top ten in Canada and top 50 in a number of other countries.

<i>Recovering the Satellites</i> 1996 studio album by Counting Crows

Recovering the Satellites is the second studio album by American rock band Counting Crows, released on October 15, 1996, in the United States. Released three years after their debut album, it reached No. 1 in the United States and was a top seller in Australia, Canada, and the UK as well. The album featured founding Counting Crows members Adam Duritz, David Bryson (guitar), Charlie Gillingham (keyboards), Matt Malley (bass), as well as new additions Ben Mize (drums) and Dan Vickrey (guitars). Multi-instrumentalist David Immerglück played on the album as a session musician as well. Counting Crows brought in producer Gil Norton for Recovering the Satellites. Three singles were released from the album, with "A Long December" being the best charting, reaching number 6 on the US Radio Songs chart and number 1 in Canada. The album itself peaked on the top spot of the Billboard Hot 200 album chart and has been certified double-platinum in both the US and Canada. Frontman Adam Duritz has called this his favorite album by the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Jones (Counting Crows song)</span> 1993 single by Counting Crows

"Mr. Jones" is a song by American alternative rock band Counting Crows. It was released in December 1993 as the lead single from their debut album, August and Everything After (1993). It was the band's first radio hit and has been described as their breakout single. "Mr. Jones" reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay charts. Internationally, the song peaked at number one in Canada and number seven in France. In April 2022, American Songwriter ranked the song at number four on their list of "The Top 10 Counting Crows Songs".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angels of the Silences</span> 1996 single by Counting Crows

"Angels of the Silences" is a song by American alternative rock band Counting Crows. It is the lead single and second track from their second album, Recovering the Satellites (1996). The song peaked at number three on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, making it the highest-placing single from the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Long December</span> 1996 single by Counting Crows

"A Long December" is a song by American alternative rock band Counting Crows. The ballad is the second single and 13th track from their second album, Recovering the Satellites (1996). Lead singer Adam Duritz was inspired to write the track after his friend was hit by a car, making the song about reflecting on tragedy with a positive disposition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Round Here</span> 1994 single by Counting Crows

"Round Here" was released in 1994 from Geffen Records as the second single from Counting Crows' debut album, August and Everything After (1993). The song's origin predates the formation of Counting Crows, when the band's future frontman Adam Duritz wrote the song with The Himalayans members Dan Jewett, Chris Roldan and Dave Janusko.

"Einstein on the Beach " is a song recorded by Counting Crows from the album DGC Rarities Vol. 1. It was included on the band's best-of compilation, Films About Ghosts . The title of the song was inspired by the Philip Glass opera Einstein on the Beach. The song became the band's first number one song on the Modern Rock chart, beating their previous highest-charting single, "Mr. Jones" which reached number two. However, "Mr. Jones" stayed longer on the Modern Rock chart and became an enduring pop hit, whereas "Einstein" failed to achieve the same success.

<i>Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings</i> 2008 studio album by Counting Crows

Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings is the fifth studio album by American rock band Counting Crows, released in the United States on March 25, 2008. It is thematically divided into two sides: the rock music of Saturday Nights and the more country-influenced Sunday Mornings. Vocalist and lyricist Adam Duritz states that the album "is about really wanting to mean something and failing to do it. You want your life to mean something. You want to be somebody and then what you turn out to be is so much less than what you thought you were going to be."

"1492" is the first song on Counting Crows' 2008 album Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings. Adam Duritz announced in a voicemail message to his fans on January 12, 2008, that this song would be released as part of a digital 45 release to precede the release of Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings, with "When I Dream of Michelangelo" to be featured as its B-side. It is, however, not the lead commercial single, as "You Can't Count On Me" was released as the lead airplay/video single on February 4, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Can't Count On Me</span> 2008 single by Counting Crows

"You Can't Count On Me" is the second single and lead commercial single released by Counting Crows from their album Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanginaround</span> 1999 single by Counting Crows

"Hanginaround" is a song by American rock band Counting Crows. It is the first track on their third album, This Desert Life (1999). Released on October 18, 1999, the song reached number 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming their biggest hit on the chart from this album. It also reached number one on the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs chart, their second number-one single on this listing.

"Come Around" is the last song on Counting Crows' 2008 album Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings.

"When I Dream of Michelangelo" is the eighth track on Counting Crows' 2008 album Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings.

<i>Aural 6</i> 2008 EP compilation sampler album by Counting Crows

Aural 6 is an EP by Counting Crows released on November 27, 2008. The Best Buy-exclusive compilation sampler contains tracks from several of their previous albums. This was one of a series of six-song EPs released at Best Buy for $5.99 for Black Friday, 2008.

<i>Underwater Sunshine (or What We Did on Our Summer Vacation)</i> 2012 studio album by Counting Crows

Underwater Sunshine is the sixth studio album by American rock band Counting Crows, released on April 10, 2012, on Cooking Vinyl. The album is composed of cover songs, with vocalist Adam Duritz stating, "Sometimes it's great to play someone else's music and try to make it your own. Sometimes it's great just because it's fun."

<i>Echoes of the Outlaw Roadshow</i> Live album by Counting Crows

Echoes of the Outlaw Roadshow is a 2013 live album from American alternative rock band Counting Crows, released on Cooking Vinyl. The album was made available by the band through digital distributors, physical media, and pre-orders for tickets to their co-headlining tour with The Wallflowers.

"Palisades Park" is a 2014 song released by Counting Crows on Capitol Records as the lead single from the album Somewhere Under Wonderland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Himalayans (American band)</span> American rock band (1990–1991)

The Himalayans were an American rock band active between 1989 and 1991. They are best known for starting the careers of two musicians, Adam Duritz of Counting Crows and Dave Janusko, a successful musician and songwriter.

References

  1. Baker, K.C (2008-03-27). "Adam Duritz Talks About His 'Downward Spiral'". People Magazine. Retrieved 2009-03-15.
  2. Douglas, Patrick (2008-04-15). "The Culture Shock - Counting Crows - Adam Duritz (2008)". The Culture Shock. Retrieved 2009-03-15.