I Wish I Was A Girl

Counting Crows · This Desert Life [1999]

The devil's in the dreaming

He tells you I'm not sleeping in my hotel room alone

With nothing to believe in

You dive into the traffic rising up

And it's so quiet

You're surprised

And then you wake



For all the things you're losing

You might as well resign yourself to try and make a change

I'm going down to Hollywood

They're gonna make a movie from the things that they find

crawling round my brain



I wish I was a girl so that you could believe me

And I could shake this static everytime I try to sleep

I wish for all the world that I could say,

"Hey Elizabeth, you know, I'm doing alright these days."



The devil's in the dreaming

You see yourself descending from a building to the ground

You watch the sky receding

You spin to see the traffic rising up

And it's so quiet

You're surprised

And then you wake



For all the things I'm losing

I might as well resign myself to try and make a change

But I'm going down to Hollywood

They're gonna make a movie from the things that they find

crawling round my brain



I wish I was a girl so that you could believe me

And I could shake this static every time I try to sleep

I wish for all the world that I could say,

"Hey Elizabeth, you know, I'm doing alright these days."



In one of these dreams, you forgive me

It makes me think of the bad decisions that keep you at home

How could anyone else have changed?

Alll these wrong conclusions that leave you alone

How could everyone rearrange?

How could everyone else have changed?

What I see I believe



For all the things I'm losing

I might as well resign myself to try and make a change

Well, I'm going down to Hollywood

They're gonna make a movie from the things that they find

crawling around my brain



I wish I was a girl so that you could believe me

And I could shake this static everytime I try to sleep

I wish for all the world that I could say,

"Hey Elizabeth, you know, I'm doing alright these days."



But I can't sleep at night

I Wish I Was A Girl

I Wish I Was A Girl stands as a poignant song in Counting Crows' discography, appearing on their 1999 album This Desert Life. The track reflects the band's signature blend of introspective lyricism and melodic rock, capturing the emotional complexity that defined their late nineties output. While the group is often celebrated for anthemic hits, this recording offers a more intimate perspective, exploring themes of identity and longing through Adam Duritz's distinctive vocal delivery. The song contributes to the album's cohesive atmosphere, balancing the band's established sound with moments of quiet vulnerability. As part of a broader body of work that includes enduring classics, this piece remains a testament to the group's ability to craft resonant, emotionally charged music that resonates with listeners across generations.