This is another ambiguous puzzler: A lot of the imagery is clear, but the underlying story is hard to tease out. What the lyrics don't show is that the tune is uniformly sad.
It's clear that some past episode took place in California, and something that once seemed to have potential came, disappointingly, to nothing. Positive images are listed with two negative images inserted into the description (Trident submarines, which are instruments of nuclear war... and traffic jams), suggesting that something that seemed to be positive had flaws lurking beneath (submarines are not seen). The question is: what is the something? My ideas would be:
a) A love affair.
b) California itself. No need to allude to Luthor (from Superman I, not III) -- it is folk science that California might one day be lost to a big earthquake, which is because of its postion at "the edge of the continent" -- an odd fact to bring up if geography or geology is not relevant.
With the mention of "history is made to seem unfair", however, another very strong possible interpretation is(c) the death of Bobby Kennedy. He was on the path to becoming president when he was shot to death in Los Angeles in 1968. He certainly had a golden smile and shining hair, and his shooting is certainly a case of history being unfair and a "nearly was" and his candidacy thus an "also ran".
None of those interpretations is incompatible with the lyrics, although the Kennedy one seems to fit the most small points. This could be about RFK or simply a vague, lyrical song.
This is another ambiguous puzzler: A lot of the imagery is clear, but the underlying story is hard to tease out. What the lyrics don't show is that the tune is uniformly sad.
It's clear that some past episode took place in California, and something that once seemed to have potential came, disappointingly, to nothing. Positive images are listed with two negative images inserted into the description (Trident submarines, which are instruments of nuclear war... and traffic jams), suggesting that something that seemed to be positive had flaws lurking beneath (submarines are not seen). The question is: what is the something? My ideas would be:
a) A love affair. b) California itself. No need to allude to Luthor (from Superman I, not III) -- it is folk science that California might one day be lost to a big earthquake, which is because of its postion at "the edge of the continent" -- an odd fact to bring up if geography or geology is not relevant.
With the mention of "history is made to seem unfair", however, another very strong possible interpretation is(c) the death of Bobby Kennedy. He was on the path to becoming president when he was shot to death in Los Angeles in 1968. He certainly had a golden smile and shining hair, and his shooting is certainly a case of history being unfair and a "nearly was" and his candidacy thus an "also ran".
None of those interpretations is incompatible with the lyrics, although the Kennedy one seems to fit the most small points. This could be about RFK or simply a vague, lyrical song.
@rikdad Good interpretation. I agree, it is mysterious.
@rikdad Good interpretation. I agree, it is mysterious.
@rikdad I believe in the Bobby Kennedy interpretation.
@rikdad I believe in the Bobby Kennedy interpretation.