Wednesday, March 28, 2007
California
And another thing...Just kidding. No more rants this week...I have just been thinking about what made California such a big draw for me. I am quite certain it wasn't Eight is Enough as I sometimes claim. More likely it was all the great songs that have been written about the Golden State. But, as I sit here thinking about all those songs I loved about California, it starts to dawn on me that if you really sit and listen to the lyrics, the songs are pretty down on Cali! I mean, I have a very fond memory of driving across the bridge between SF and Heyward and listening to Semisonic's "California" on the CD player thinking it was one of those great Soundtrack moments...sun was setting behind me, etc. What a great song about California! So passionate! Well, on closer inspection, here are the lyrics as he describes the apparently negative effect his time in Cali had on him:
I pulled my heart out of my chest
mixed it up in my mind with the best, freshest pieces of my soul
Chose the ones I loved the most
Drove them all down to the coast...
Threw them in a big black hole
So, that is not a real Tourism Board anthem....how about my all-time favorite, Last Resort by the Eagles. Yeah, this song talks about the nice breeze blowing through Malibu and all the pretty people and how nice it is in Los Angeles, right? Let's give it a listen:
Some rich man came and raped the land
Nobody Caught 'em
Put up a bunch of ugly boxes
And, Jesus, people bought 'em
They called it Paradise
I don't know why
Call some place Paradise
Kiss it goodbye
Hmmmm....sounds like strike two. I know! California Dreamin'. I mean that song is all about how great Cali is. And I loved that one...even the Bangles version! Let's check it out...
All the leaves are brown
And the sky is gray
I've been for a walk on a winters day
I'd be safe and warm...if I was in LA
Wait wait...this dude isn't even in California! Winter's Day? What the F? He just wants to be some place warmer. That is no great endorsement. Damn. OK. Surely John Bonham wouldn't lead me astray, right? Let's check out Going to California:
Spent my days with a woman unkind
Smoked my stuff and drank...All my wine
Made up my mind to make a new start
Goin to California with an achin in my heart
OK. This sounds good...not there, but taking action and he is 'achin' to get there. I like it...
Ride a white mare in the footsteps of dawn
Tryin to find a woman who's never never never been born
Standing on a hill in my mountain of my dreams
Telling myself its not as hard hard hard as it seems
What the F? What is he talking about now? That has nothing to do with California does it?
Shit...hmmmm. I've got it! It is all coming back to me now! This is it!
We've been on the run
Driving in the sun
Looking out for number 1
California, here we come
Right back where we started from
Or, maybe not. Maybe it was the show OC and not the song by Phantom Planet. Something to think about.
Actually, this whole thought process started when I heard the all-time greatest song about (or that subtly mentions) California the other day. I love this song and I wish we had played it in the Natty Five 9s. Check it out:
Ventura Highway in the sunshine
where the days are longer
the nights are stronger than moonshine
you're gonna go I know
Cause the free wind is blowin' through your hair
And the days surround your daylight there
Seasons crying, no despair
Alligator lizards in the air...in the air
dodododododood
Gotta love it!
Missin' Cali!
much love to all!
jak
I pulled my heart out of my chest
mixed it up in my mind with the best, freshest pieces of my soul
Chose the ones I loved the most
Drove them all down to the coast...
Threw them in a big black hole
So, that is not a real Tourism Board anthem....how about my all-time favorite, Last Resort by the Eagles. Yeah, this song talks about the nice breeze blowing through Malibu and all the pretty people and how nice it is in Los Angeles, right? Let's give it a listen:
Some rich man came and raped the land
Nobody Caught 'em
Put up a bunch of ugly boxes
And, Jesus, people bought 'em
They called it Paradise
I don't know why
Call some place Paradise
Kiss it goodbye
Hmmmm....sounds like strike two. I know! California Dreamin'. I mean that song is all about how great Cali is. And I loved that one...even the Bangles version! Let's check it out...
All the leaves are brown
And the sky is gray
I've been for a walk on a winters day
I'd be safe and warm...if I was in LA
Wait wait...this dude isn't even in California! Winter's Day? What the F? He just wants to be some place warmer. That is no great endorsement. Damn. OK. Surely John Bonham wouldn't lead me astray, right? Let's check out Going to California:
Spent my days with a woman unkind
Smoked my stuff and drank...All my wine
Made up my mind to make a new start
Goin to California with an achin in my heart
OK. This sounds good...not there, but taking action and he is 'achin' to get there. I like it...
Ride a white mare in the footsteps of dawn
Tryin to find a woman who's never never never been born
Standing on a hill in my mountain of my dreams
Telling myself its not as hard hard hard as it seems
What the F? What is he talking about now? That has nothing to do with California does it?
Shit...hmmmm. I've got it! It is all coming back to me now! This is it!
We've been on the run
Driving in the sun
Looking out for number 1
California, here we come
Right back where we started from
Or, maybe not. Maybe it was the show OC and not the song by Phantom Planet. Something to think about.
Actually, this whole thought process started when I heard the all-time greatest song about (or that subtly mentions) California the other day. I love this song and I wish we had played it in the Natty Five 9s. Check it out:
Ventura Highway in the sunshine
where the days are longer
the nights are stronger than moonshine
you're gonna go I know
Cause the free wind is blowin' through your hair
And the days surround your daylight there
Seasons crying, no despair
Alligator lizards in the air...in the air
dodododododood
Gotta love it!
Missin' Cali!
much love to all!
jak
Comments:
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DUDE! You are trippin! There are certainly NOT any alligator lizards in the air here.
Clearly, you miss us just as much as we miss you...otherwise you would be writing like a sane person, or at least a somewhat sane person consuming Nattys in our garage.
Love,
DB and the Brownz
Clearly, you miss us just as much as we miss you...otherwise you would be writing like a sane person, or at least a somewhat sane person consuming Nattys in our garage.
Love,
DB and the Brownz
sanity is in the rear view mirror for me these days...I can't remember a more stressful time. Kind of rough moving, learning a new job, buying a house...Mr. Matthews is keeping me a bit on the sane side though. Can't wait to get those drums out of storage!
miss you guys tons!
miss you guys tons!
You gotta fuckin' hang on to the planet earth....even if it's by just one blade of grass, hang on. Cause' if you go, I'm going with you.
Shit man, be strong. GB.
Shit man, be strong. GB.
So I am driving along Cruz’in in my hummer nice Sunday drive, three of my best buddy’s with me…….and from out of nowhere someone comes up to our vehicle, ok so we are looking for the sign “will work for food”. We see something in his hand, it must be a squeegee right? Nope, damn it’s a balloon filled with paint. So this guy, whom we have never met, just throws it on the roof of our hummer (I am just borrowing this ride). So my buddy Jeremy is yelling “I am hit” …..got him through the sunroof, red paint everywhere. Radio is going crazy, my other two buds are getting Jeremy’s pants and shirt off. I am driving like a maniac to get to the nearest car detail place. The guy that threw the balloon is enjoying the rest of his afternoon.
Well, I am in Iraq. So in all honesty it wasn’t a balloon, it was a RPK3 fragmentation Grenade and it wasn’t paint it was Jeremy’s blood, gunner hatch and not a sunroof, medical facility and not car detail place. Radio was military and not music.
I am writing this in this forum for two reasons. One I want to give my brother Jason his just due. With some time in country I now have an informed opinion. I am not in agreement with this war , I believe most of the people here truly do not want our help. And I honestly believe that President Bush has his own agenda. (from the other soldiers I have spoken to at a guess 10% think we should be here)
I am here and believe I was meant to be here, I will however be grateful when I am back in the USA.
……..oh my second reason for writing this here…..thank you Jason, for the wonderful words you wrote about me and friendship. It meant more to me than you will ever know. This event above, made me realize that I am all those words you wrote. It’s hard to see in ones self, so I thank you and love you from the bottom of my heart.
BTW……Jeremy is recovering nicely and I am sure you will all get to know him well as he has asked for this link to comment on JAK’s blog.
Well, I am in Iraq. So in all honesty it wasn’t a balloon, it was a RPK3 fragmentation Grenade and it wasn’t paint it was Jeremy’s blood, gunner hatch and not a sunroof, medical facility and not car detail place. Radio was military and not music.
I am writing this in this forum for two reasons. One I want to give my brother Jason his just due. With some time in country I now have an informed opinion. I am not in agreement with this war , I believe most of the people here truly do not want our help. And I honestly believe that President Bush has his own agenda. (from the other soldiers I have spoken to at a guess 10% think we should be here)
I am here and believe I was meant to be here, I will however be grateful when I am back in the USA.
……..oh my second reason for writing this here…..thank you Jason, for the wonderful words you wrote about me and friendship. It meant more to me than you will ever know. This event above, made me realize that I am all those words you wrote. It’s hard to see in ones self, so I thank you and love you from the bottom of my heart.
BTW……Jeremy is recovering nicely and I am sure you will all get to know him well as he has asked for this link to comment on JAK’s blog.
# posted by 
: 5:18 AM
: 5:18 AM
Ok, hard to follow that last one...but on a lighter note...I think you forgot about the Beach Boys. Not that it holds any tourism draw for me, but Jeremy mentioned "I wish they all could be California girls."
SNN, I was focusing on songs that I LIKED...hence, the Beach Boys were not forgotten, per se. I just don't like them too much. :-) And, as you know, I wish they all could be Tulsa girls. Not the fat ones though. And, yes, that does limit it somewhat.
BroBri--Wow...you need to publish what you wrote...bad stuff happening yet great writing to describe your current journey. We love you and miss you sooo much! Your SisKir
# posted by : 10:58 AM
: 10:58 AM
Mom,
As the writer of this blog I can tell you that noone responds to serious messages...if you go back to any of my "serious" posts, you will find no comments. It is just therapy for me.
for the rest of you, you can see where I get the well-crafted ability to question how and when people comment on my blog. :-)
jak
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As the writer of this blog I can tell you that noone responds to serious messages...if you go back to any of my "serious" posts, you will find no comments. It is just therapy for me.
for the rest of you, you can see where I get the well-crafted ability to question how and when people comment on my blog. :-)
jak
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