Sheryl Crow – My Favorite Mistake

This song has a dirty sounding guitar intro and Sheryl’s voice drives it along.

This is rumored to be about Eric Clapton, who Crow dated for a while. She has said it is not about one person in particular, but a composite of guys she went out with who wasn’t good for her. Clapton appears on her 1999 album Sheryl Crow and Friends.

Crow has said that it is definitely not about Clapton…she has said: “I can’t look at that relationship as a mistake.”

The song peaked at #20 in the Billboard 100 in 1998. It was on her album The Globe Sessions which peaked at #5 in 1998 in the Billboard Album Charts.

From Songfacts

Like Carly Simon, Crow dated many high-profile guys, making the song rife for speculation. Among her paramours: Kid Rock, Lance Armstrong, Jakob Dylan, and Owen Wilson.

In a 2015 interview, we asked Jeff Trott, Crow’s frequent songwriting collaborator and guitarist, to weigh in on the mystery. He said:

“I’ve never ever talked to Sheryl about it – never, ever. One of these days, I’m just going to like throw it out there. Everyone just assumed it was Eric Clapton, but I thought it could be Jakob Dylan from The Wallflowers. The Wallflowers supported Sheryl Crow when I was in her touring band.

But she dated Eric Clapton for a little while, for about six months … But he was really into Sheryl, big time. I thought for sure they were going to get married. I think the real deal is that he really wanted to have a very traditional marriage, meaning that Sheryl would take care of things, in a traditional housewife role. At the time, this was like when she was pretty much peaking and playing everywhere, and she would’ve had to give that up.” (Here’s the complete interview with Jeff Trott.)

The video is pretty straightforward, with Crow miming and vamping to the song in an unadorned room. It was directed by Samuel Bayer, who used the sepia look and film transitions that show up in a lot of his work.

My Favorite Mistake

I woke up and called this morning
The tone of your voice was a warning
That you don’t care for me anymore

I made up the bed we sleep in
I looked at the clock when you creep in
It’s six AM and I’m alone

Did you know when you go it’s the perfect ending
To the bad day I was just beginning
When you go all I know is you’re my favorite mistake

Your friends act sorry for me
They watch you pretend to adore me
But I’m no fool to this game

Now here comes your secret lover
She’ll be unlike any other
Until your guilt goes up in flames.

Did you know when you go it’s the perfect ending
To the bad day I’d gotten used to spending
When you go all I know is you’re my favorite mistake
You’re my favorite mistake

Well maybe nothing lasts forever
Even when you stay together
I don’t need forever after, but it’s your laughter won’t let me go
So I’m holding on this way

Did you know could you tell you were the only one
That I ever loved?
Now everything’s so wrong
Did you see me walking by, did it ever make you cry?

Now you’re my favorite mistake
Yeah you’re my favorite mistake
You’re my favorite mistake