Revenge of the 90s: The Story and Meaning Behind “Counting Blue Cars” by Dishwalla

They gave themselves a unique but confounding band name. And they refused to title their lead single after the refrain, choosing instead to use a phrase that pops up in one of the verses. It’s not what you might call a recipe for success. Dishwalla stuck to their instincts with “Counting Blue Cars”, right down to the weighty topic of religion that serves as the song’s foundation. They thrived because of it, earning themselves one of the most distinctive hit singles of the 90s.

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What’s the Dish?

Dishwalla formed as a quintet in the early 90s in California. They put together a couple of demo collections while they honed their live sound. Originally named Life Talking, they briefly called themselves Dish before finally settling on Dishwalla, a foreign term for a satellite TV installer.

The band soon began getting more exposure, as they stood out a bit from the heavier grunge acts of the day. They earned a spot on a Carpenters tribute album and also found their way onto late-night television. The end result was a major-label recording contract at A&M records.

One of their members left around that time, rendering them a quartet: singer and keyboardist J.R. Richards, bassist Scot Alexander, guitarist Rodney Browning, and drummer George Pendergast. They all contributed to the songwriting, although it was Richards’ idea that drove the breakthrough hit off their 1995 debut album, Pet Your Friends.

“Blue” Period

Richards wrote “Counting Blue Cars” in part based on an actual talk he had with a local kid in the neighborhood. He was struck by the innocence and the lack of preconceived notions with which this youngster communicated.

Dishwalla courted some controversy at the time due to the song’s lyrics. Some people objected to even the suggestion that God could be female, as the chorus hints at times. Richards even received death threats once the song became a breakthrough hit as the band’s second single from Pet Your Friends.

Though “Counting Blue Cars” gained them a lot of exposure, Dishwalla wasn’t able to capitalize on it with another single that captured the public’s imagination. When they returned in 1998 with the album And You Think You Know What Life’s About, the listening public had mostly moved on to other artists.

Exploring the Lyrics of “Counting Blue Cars”

Richards sets the scene quite well in the opening verse, so that we can easily picture the man and the boy.

“I could tell by how far the child’s shadow stretched out,” he explains about the time of day. “And he walked with a purpose in his sneakers down the street.”

That’s when the boy drops the big query: “Tell me all your thoughts on God / Tell me am I very far.”

They continue down the street as the day wears on, playing games to pass the time: “We count only blue cars, skip the cracks on the street.” The final verse seems to suggest that the world might just dampen the innocence the child possesses. “We see many cross-eyed people,” Richards sings.

There’s no moment in “Counting Blue Cars” where Richards attempts to answer the questions that the child poses. They simply hang in the air in the fading afternoon. Something about that makes the song ring true. It suggests that just seeking a revelation is worthwhile, even if you’ll never be able to acquire it.

Photo by Barry King/WireImage