Calistan Lyrics

Lyric discussion by ezamor 

Cover art for Calistan lyrics by Frank Black

"And through the layers of California, from pre-Navajo (as the Spaniards said) all the way to a time found somewhere between now and Blade Runner." - Frank in the press kit for the album.

Frank Black or Black Francis has always been a devoted environmentalist - this song envisions a future where Californian has become like one of the stans (Afghanistan, Pakistan etc) - Like HG Wells the message is if you think we are guaranteed continuous improvement in standards of life and happiness this is an illusion. What I love about these lyrics is that while Black paints a very dystopic picture of the future the protagonist is trying to recall some of the great things of the past. But the whatever has happened is so momentous that the past as a recorded...