What a week. What a trip. What a state.
We're leaving the Golden State by revisiting the theme of coming to California.
Because, as I've said before, wherever you are, you'd probably rather be in California.
Today's closer is another TWOfer, as we are looking at two very different variations of the same theme.
Up first, originally released in 1961 by New Orleans-born Joe Jones, and covered by The Rivieras three years later, it's New York punk stalwarts The Ramones who, for me, give us the definitive version of this bright, sun-infused anthem.
Well, I'm goin' out west out on the coast
Where the California girls are really the most
Where they walk and I'll walk
They twist and I'll twist
They shimmy and I'll shimmy
They fly and I'll fly
Well they're out there a'havin' fun
In that warm California sun.
California Sun is the bright, sunny, impossibly happy destination on the Going To California spectrum. Stating no point of origination (is the singer coming from North Dakota? Brussels? Mars?), all the singer knows is that when they get to California, it's all sock-hops, shin-digs, shimmies and twists.
And, of course, being sung by a bunch of dour, leather-clad New Yorkers, The Ramones have obviously taken huge liberties with this ditty and covered it with irony, paradox, satire and ridicule.
But....................................................wait. They haven't. No, I mean, it's there, on the fringes, if you really look, but basically our boys in black play it straight. And loud. And infuse it with more power and energy than the material really deserves, thus making their version one of those rarest of creatures; a cover version that actually surpasses the original. You can even imagine 6' 6" tall Joey Ramone shimmying as they shimmy, and twisting, as they twist. It's fantastic.
Talk To Me Of Mendocino, while exploring the same theme of coming to California, is a whole different experience. If the Ramones "California Sun" is on the light, happy end of the spectrum, then Talk To Me Of Mendocino is definitely on down side. Not dark, mind, but poetic and heavy with longing.
And, yes, it doesn't have California in the title. I know. But, Talk To Me Of Mendocino gave me one of the fastest turnarounds of opinion I've ever had with a song, and for that alone it deserves a praise on CSOTD.
When I first heard this, the opening piano notes were greeted with suspicion, and at 0:15 in I thought, "Right, stuff this too." However, for some unknown reason (Providence? Fate? Luck?) I continued to listen. My cynicism was shaken at 0:51 by some absolutely heavenly harmonies, and by 1:43, when they sing:
"...let the sun set on the ocean
I will watch it from the shore
Let the sun rise over the redwoods
I'll rise with it till I rise no more"
I was reduced to a quivering, sobbing pulp longing to watch the sun rise over the redwoods for the rest of my own life as well.
Talk To Me Of Mendocino is the worst kind of syrupy-sweet folk-traditional pap listened to only by granola-eating, Volvo driving, Lake Wobegon loving Baby Boomers and I hate myself for loving it so much. But, as such, it provides the perfect counter-point to California Sun, and songs like it.
Which, of course, is why these songs are the perfect culmination for California Week here on CSOTD.
Together, these songs go a long way in exploring the myth and mystique, the light and the heavy, the superficial joy and deep meaning of California. The Golden State. The destination for all of our poets and artists and starlets and businessmen in the other 49.
And all around the world.
I was lucky enough to have been born in California. I can tell you I've traveled the world, and I've never really left her.
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