CRIOS Posted April 1, 2017 Share Posted April 1, 2017 Song #1: Going To California Who's the unkind woman? Who's the California woman? Why a red sea? Children of the sun? A mountain of dreams ...? _ Spent my days with a woman unkind Smoked my stuff and drank all my wine. Made up my mind to make a new start Going To California with an aching in my heart. Someone told me there's a girl out there With love in her eyes and flowers in her hair. Took my chances on a big jet plane Never let them tell you that they're all the same. The sea was red and the sky was grey Wondered how tomorrow could ever follow today. The mountains and the canyons started to tremble and shake As the children of the sun began to awake. Seems that the wrath of the Gods Got a punch on the nose and it started to flow; I think I might be sinking. Throw me a line if I reach it in time I'll meet you up there where the path Runs straight and high. To find a queen without a king; They say she plays guitar and cries and sings. Side a white mare in the footsteps of dawn Tryin' to find a woman who's never, never, never been born. Standing on a hill in my mountain of dreams, Telling myself it's not as hard, hard, hard as it seems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 They lyrics aren't meant to be taken literally, they're meant to be evocative and open to interpretation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NealR2000 Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 Joni Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForEvermore Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 8 hours ago, SteveAJones said: They lyrics aren't meant to be taken literally, they're meant to be evocative and open to interpretation. I agree. There was a scene in "The Big Chill" where William Hurt's character (Nick) says to Tom Beringer's character (Sam), " You're so analytical! Sometimes you just have to let art... flow... over you." I very often feel that way about song lyrics. IMHO, in this song, some of the lyrics are said in the way they are simply to maintain the rhyme - others, if they do have specific meaning, would only have such meaning to Robert himself. Still, no harm in asking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tremelo Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 Sounds like a guy who is drunk/high in the moment who is disillusioned with life and has a fantasy that California is the promised land (irrationally). If he could just make it there. But he never even makes the effort. Maybe even an old man looking back at his broken life? Or perhaps the man is dying and California is an analogy for Heaven? I know Zep referenced Lord of the Rings at times and I think this has that kind of theme to it. Specifically the Hobbit. A great adventure awaits. Of course Bilbo was reluctant and this song is overlaid with jet planes to bring it to a more modern world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mithril46 Posted April 4, 2017 Share Posted April 4, 2017 The song to me sounds half somewhat autobiographiful and half wishing and reflecting. But I'm almost positive Plant has said many times that lyrics like poetry have no set meaning, that is part of the listener's interaction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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