Counting Blue Cars


"Counting Blue Cars " is a song by American alternative rock band Dishwalla from their 1995 A&M Records album Pet Your Friends. It is their only hit song, peaking at number 15 on the US [Billboard Hot 100|Billboard Hot 100] and topping the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. On the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, despite peaking at number two, "Counting Blue Cars" was the chart's most successful song of 1996. It received two ASCAP awards as the most-played song of the year on radio in the United States.

Writing and inspiration

Dishwalla lead singer J. R. Richards wrote 'Counting Blue Cars' "rather quickly", telling the "story of a young boy's spiritual journey". He said the lyrics are about a conversation with the child within himself, but was inspired by an actual chat with his 10-year-old neighbor. Richards said:
As quoted, Richards received death threats after the single's release from listeners who were upset about God's depiction as a female in the song.

Chart performance

"Counting Blue Cars" was highly popular on the radio, peaking at number four on pop airplay and number five on Hot AC airplay in 1996. It became a number-one Modern Rock Track for one week in June 1996 and a number two Mainstream Rock Track. It peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and showed longevity by remaining on the chart for nearly a year at 48 weeks. In March 2022, the song received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America for digital sales and streams of over 500,000 units.

Track listings and formats

  1. "Counting Blue Cars" – 4:51
  2. "The Other Side of the World" – 3:46
  1. "Counting Blue Cars" – 4:20
  2. "Counting Blue Cars" – 4:32
  • US and European maxi-CD single
  1. "Counting Blue Cars" – 4:20
  2. "Until I Wake Up" – 4:42
  3. "Counting Blue Cars" – 4:32
  4. "Date with Sarah" – 3:51
  • US CD 1 and German maxi-CD single
  1. "Counting Blue Cars " – 4:20
  2. "Until I Wake Up" – 4:42
  3. "Sarah Without Sarah" – 3:51
  4. "Counting Blue Cars " – 4:51
  1. "Counting Blue Cars" – 4:51
  2. "The Other Side of the World" – 3:46
  3. "Counting Blue Cars" – 5:39
  4. "Until I Wake Up" – 4:42
  • Japanese EP
  1. "Counting Blue Cars" – 4:20
  2. "Until I Wake Up" – 4:42
  3. "It's Going to Take Some Time" – 4:42
  4. "Date with Sarah" – 3:51
  5. "Charlie Brown's Parents" – 4:51
  6. "The Other Side of the World" – 3:51
  7. "The Feeder" – 4:51
  8. "Counting Blue Cars" – 4:20

    Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history