Sullivan Street

Album: August and Everything After (1993)
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Songfacts®:

  • Counting Crows lead singer Adam Duritz said of this song: "My last girlfriend, for the first month and a half that we were going out, her mother was living with her, and her mother's very Catholic. We couldn't spend the night together, so I was constantly making these drives in the middle of the night - very surreal, four in the morning, falling asleep. I really believed in the relationship, but when I was writing this song, the lyrics came out: 'Pretty soon I won't come around.' It wasn't what I wanted - I didn't want it to end - but there it was. It's about the inevitability of leaving." >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Samantha - East Aurora, NY
  • This is a track from the first Counting Crows album, August And Everything After. Produced by T Bone Burnett, it launched the band to stardom thanks to popular songs like "Rain King" and "Mr. Jones."

Comments: 6

  • Lori S from TejasIf you listen he mentions crossing the bridge and going over the bay. That is the same way to get to San P. Not in Frisco but it is considered. Just like anything outside of Houston Tx is considered Houston. Like Missouri City, Stafford, Deer Park etc. Just a suburb. Hope that helps. It is a small strip of road and a long ways out. So it checks out that this was the road.
  • Lori S from TexasThe Sullivan street he is referencing is in San Pablo north east of San Fran:)
  • Ruben from Rotterdam, Netherlandsoh, Source!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=425&v=Ae2Nh0ObSoo, from 48 minutes 42 seconds and further
  • Ruben from Rotterdam, NetherlandsAbout where Sullivan street is:
    The album was released in 1993. Adam Duritz was about 29 years old at the time.
    I tried to find where he lived. Wikipedia sais the following:
    Duritz grew up in Baltimore, Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; El Paso, Texas; and Berkeley, California. He is the son of Gilbert and Linda Duritz, both physicians. Duritz has a younger sister, Nicole.[30] Duritz attended the prestigious Taft School, and graduated from the Head-Royce School in Oakland, California.

    I can't find a Sullivan street in google maps in the following cities: Balimore, Maryland; El Paso, Texas; Berkeley, California.
    I can find it in: Boston, Massachusetts.

    But i suppose Boston is was the first City he lived in, so that doesn't make sense.

    Then i found this:
    "I had this girlfriend who lived in San Francisco
    I lived in Berkeley
    She lived on the far side on San Francisco and
    Her mother came out to live with her from from New York
    and her mother was really, really, really catholic
    and so she could never stay at my house
    We have to take her home every night
    It was a long drive all the way from the hills of Berkeley
    down to the freeway and on to the bridge and across the bay into San Francisco
    She lived on the far fu**ing side of the city
    and every time I drove back I had to let her go and you know
    It's like on top of everything else."

    Yet, San Francisco has no Sullivan street..
    He continues:
    "I had to let her go
    I can never have stayed
    She could never stay
    and I don't know one day
    I just had this, I get this feeling lot
    I think I wrote a bunch of songs about it
    Just knew it wasn't going to last much longer
    Not that i wasn't in love with her
    and it was even after her mother got the f**k out of town
    but I was thinking a lot about those drives
    because I started thinking one day it was just going to be over soon
    I don't know for me sometimes it doesn't matter how good it is
    It's s just going to be over soon so
    I wrote this song
    I don't know why I called it what I did because
    I didn't leave anywhere near any place named this but
    I wrote a song called Omaha I never been there before in my life
    When we first toured in Omaha the mayor tried to gives me the key to the city
    I was so embarrassed that I didn't go
    I could have had these hug f**king now but I don't got it
    But this is a song about something matters and you just know it is going to go
    and it is about someone name Susan
    I don't' know where she is now but it is called Sullivan Street"

    So, long story short, it isn't real.. :/ bummer to find out this way
  • Brian from Boston, MaI want to just correct my previous post.The Two main Chords are D and D/G which is a D chord with a G bass note. It should actually be played as D/G because although if you just play a G chord the song will be recognizable while playing D/G the high G string is open and rings out and that is exactly what is heard on the recording.Also If anyone knows exactly where this Sullivan street actually is please let me know
  • Brian from Boston, MaThis song is great. There are mainly just two chords in this song. D and G. There is an E minor in the middle 8 but it is mostly just two chords. A perfect example of simple yet elegant.The guitar and piano compliment each other perfectly. August and everything after the album from wich this song comes is one of the best albums of the 90's.Considering the albums' popularity I am surprised that there are not more comments about this song. I consider this CD to be one of the best that I own.
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