Maria (character from Counting Crows songs)

Maria is a recurring character in the songs written by 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 songwriter and lead singer of 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"...

. Maria has appeared in the lyrics of four Counting Crows songs and in two other songs written by Duritz, and has fueled speculation and debate among fans. Duritz contends that she is fictional.

Appearances

Maria has appeared in six songs written by Duritz: twice in songs written for his first band, 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....

, and in four Counting Crows songs. All in all, Maria has been mentioned by name nine times in Duritz's discography, appearing in three singles that made US charts, and two that cracked top ten lists.

In "Way Home" (The Himalayans), Maria quietly talks to Adam, asking him what he sees.
In "Nothing but a Child" (The Himalayans), the speaker cryptically tells Maria to sail on, to burn her to the ground.
"Round Here
Round Here
"Round Here" was released in 1994 from Geffen Records as the second single from the Counting Crows' debut album, August and Everything After ....

," a song written by Duritz in his days with The Himalayans but released as the second single from Counting Crows' debut album, tells the story of Maria. The lyrics relate the story of a sad and lonely girl from Nashville who contemplates suicide.
In "Mr. Jones," a song about a night Duritz spent in a bar with Himalayans bassist Marty Jones, Maria is referenced. She seems to be a woman in the bar doing some "Spanish dances."
In "Mrs. Potter's Lullaby
Mrs. Potter's Lullaby
"Mrs. Potter's Lullaby" is a single by the American rock band Counting Crows. It is the second track on their third album This Desert Life .This song was written after singer/songwriter Adam Duritz saw actress Monica Potter in a film....

," Duritz makes a non-narrative, perhaps somewhat explanatory reference to Maria. He says, "There's a piece of Maria in every song that I sing."
In "August and Everything After," a song not included in the album named for it
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....

and only ever performed live more than ten years later, Maria is mentioned twice. The speaker wakes up Maria and then apologizes to her for the "coldhearted things" he has done.

Duritz's explanation

The most commonly accepted explanation of Maria is provided by Duritz in a single quote, often cited.
This explanation seems to be accepted by most fans, including Lisa LeBarre, Counting Crows employee and creator of Counting Crows' biggest fan-site.

Alternative theories

Still some fans contend that Duritz’s explanation of Maria is unsatisfactory. The fact that Duritz writes almost exclusively about real people and events has led some to believe that Maria is, or was, a real person.

An extensive investigation into the possible identity of a real-life 'Maria' by 801 Magazine journalist Steven Elwell, one in which he interviewed several friends of Duritz including the real-life "Mr. Jones" himself, concluded without a definitive answer. Elwell writes that in the end, the myth of Maria may be "lovelier than the awful truth," and that perhaps "it is better to leave such things alone."

Appearances

Duritz's explanation

Alternative theories

See also