Mr. Jones

Who it's for

Adam Duritz and a friend daydream that becoming stars will make them somebody.

Feelings it meets

• Envy
• Self-Worth
• Loneliness

What it is

"Mr. Jones" was Counting Crows' debut single, released in December 1993 as the lead single from their debut album August and Everything After. It is about struggling musicians who dream of stardom, named for Adam Duritz's friend Marty Jones, though Duritz later said it is really about himself. He wrote it after a night out when the two imagined that being rock stars would make everything easier.

Where to find it

All major streaming services.

Before you start

Age: All ages

Insist on yourself; never imitate.Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays: First Series, “Self-Reliance”