I Remember California

Apparently the scenario Stipe imagined while writing the song was "What if Lex Luthor was victorious?" In Superman III, Luthor develops a plot to blow California off the map, but of course, Superman saves the day. In this song, Michael is imagining that California HAD been destroyed, and is mourning its absence.

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.

You don't find many wolverines in California, though they sometimes show up in the Sierras. People used to wear that brand of boots though.

California's full of people who almost did something with their lives. That's the "nearly was and almost rans."

When the song, album was first published, I recall reading Stipe's explanation of the song and it's overall tone. He stated that it was basically a summation of his discomfort with the region as a whole; from it's culture to all of the many things it represents. There was also something about his fear of earthquakes and how the looming threat of one always weighed on his mind when he was there. As with so many REM songs, at least from the pre 1990 years, the tone of the song is accentuated by snippets of imagery and rough sketch lyrics. A lovely song.

omg..i can't believe nobody comment on this song.

i thought it was beautiful and it reminds me of the time when i visit california. i miss it there so much!

I think it could also be reminiscing about childhood and also be ironic since he glosses over the ugly parts, like wiith the traffic jams, just like how we gloss over the really ugly stuff and just remember the good parts. Beautiful song.

this song is really cool. scarry too. A++

"Nearly was and almost strands"

/FTFY

I have heard this many times and it still leaves me puzzled. The music and lyrics both have a dire, moody feeling, as if something bad is going to happen in the middle of a perfect day. There is a darkness lurking underneath the golden surface. That is hardly an original thought when it comes to California, but Stipe and REM do it well. I get the images and memories part of it, but what is he talking about with the tides and ebbs? A nice finish with "at the end/edge of the continent" - it is a common feeling among Easterners that there is something unreal about California, that it is on the border of reality.

"Nearly was and almost strands"

/FTFY