I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Watch me now
Waitress all dressed like nurses in bondage
Brought me the check, said "I want you to sign this"
Union boy standing next to the rastas
"There's gonna be a strike and you ain't gonna stop us"
Three men standing and they love what they do
You won't see it coming, cause they wanna surprise you
Consider it done, they're gonna stand right by you
American punks don't care about you
Hollywood what you gonna do?
[Chorus]
Don't say that you don't understand
Don't say that you can't comprehend
Don't say that you don't understand, this is California Babylon, my man
Don't say that you don't understand
Don't say that you can't comprehend
Don't say that you don't understand, this is California Babylon, my man
Don't say that you don't understand
Don't say that you can't comprehend
Don't say that you can't understand, this is California Babylon, my man
You can take away the nights with sights of bright lights
Sheiks still ride, engage in street fights
Two to the head, pull around, he's dead
Suspect fled, caught up with bloodshed
No sign of hope, we fight and sling dope
Junkies to our left, no fix, they can't cope
Violence won't cease, hand me the chrome piece
No peace or sleep, we fight with police
This is the city that'll make all your dreams come true
So pay attention
[Chorus]
At last she had arrived, we turned in exhausted
Cocaine in her pocket, she can get busted
Once again she passes, now she's gone
Now she's with her friend, her beautiful young
She showed up on the scene, she was 17
Now she's 21, she does some more coke, she does some more coke
She drinks some whiskey and she smokes some dope
She thinks she's a star
Do you know who you are?
Waitress all dressed like nurses in bondage
Brought me the check, said "I want you to sign this"
Union boy standing next to the rastas
"There's gonna be a strike and you ain't gonna stop us"
Three men standing and they love what they do
You won't see it coming, cause they wanna surprise you
Consider it done, they're gonna stand right by you
American punks don't care about you
Hollywood what you gonna do?
[Chorus]
Don't say that you don't understand
Don't say that you can't comprehend
Don't say that you don't understand, this is California Babylon, my man
Don't say that you don't understand
Don't say that you can't comprehend
Don't say that you don't understand, this is California Babylon, my man
Don't say that you don't understand
Don't say that you can't comprehend
Don't say that you can't understand, this is California Babylon, my man
You can take away the nights with sights of bright lights
Sheiks still ride, engage in street fights
Two to the head, pull around, he's dead
Suspect fled, caught up with bloodshed
No sign of hope, we fight and sling dope
Junkies to our left, no fix, they can't cope
Violence won't cease, hand me the chrome piece
No peace or sleep, we fight with police
This is the city that'll make all your dreams come true
So pay attention
[Chorus]
At last she had arrived, we turned in exhausted
Cocaine in her pocket, she can get busted
Once again she passes, now she's gone
Now she's with her friend, her beautiful young
She showed up on the scene, she was 17
Now she's 21, she does some more coke, she does some more coke
She drinks some whiskey and she smokes some dope
She thinks she's a star
Do you know who you are?
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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About moral decadence on the West Coast?
About brody dalle from the distillers? (tims ex g/f) she came from australia @ 17 to california
goddamn it. its not Two to the head, pull around, he's dead its pool of red not pull around. you can hear it if you listen to it closely
definetly two to the head, get out of here
At last she had arrived, we turned in exhausted Cocaine in her pocket, she can get busted Once again she passes, now she's gone Now she's with her friend, her beautiful young She showed up on the scene, she was 17 Now she's 21, she does some more coke, she does some more coke She drinks some whiskey and she smokes some dope She thinks she's a star Do you know who you are?
im pretty sure that last paragraph is about brody dalle
"California Babylon" is on the 2002 album, together with "Weight on my Mind" (ft. Brody), and the booklet shows a picture of Tim wearing his wedding ring ... so how can the song refer to Brody? Besides, she was not 21 at that time.
The album "Transplants" was recorded from 2000-2002 therefor Brody Dalle WAS 21 around the time the song may have been written. Also, she was 16 when she met Tim and 17 when she hit the scene in California/U.S. It's very clear that the last paragraph is about Brody, the whole song might even be about her, there is alot of references to her in the song if you really pay attention. Perhaps their relationship was on the rough even when the album was being made (since they broke up only a year after the album was released).
Its about the pigs which are also refered to as the babylon
I LOVE this song. Heard it for years while playing Tony Hawk's Underground, then bought the album when I got old enough to realise how much I loved the song.
I love that the line "This is the city that'll make all your dreams come true" comes right after the rap part about drugs and violence. That speaks to me like this: sometimes, no matter how many horrible qualities a person/place has, some people are so attracted by the superficial things that they become narrow sighted, and fail to see the big bloody picture; and what's inside is ALWAYS more important than what appears on the surface.
P.S. - I agree 100% that the last lines were written about Tim's then-wife Brody Armstrong. Or Dalle. Or Homme now, I don't know.