What cultural information do songs teach us?
Find as much as you can in this song.
Share your essays in the comment box.
Songwriters: COMPTON, JOHN PARKER
I remember I was in the tanning salon
When I heard that River Phoenix was gone
They say that only the good die young
But that ain't true where I come from
California...California
It took a lot for me to say
I want to walk away, LA
From the sharks and the Chardonnay
In California...California
4 in the morning we were in our beds
The swaying palm trees above our heads
Woke up to a primal rumbling sound
When the Northridge quake ripped open the ground
California...California
It took a lot for me to say
I want to walk away LA
From the sharks and the Chardonnay
In California... In California
Golden State, I'm back in the Golden State
Golden State of Mind
This song is about her inner feelings, when she found out that her idol died. At that moment, she realized there was nothing to do in California, in the Golden State anymore. River Phoenix was an idol of teenagers,who died of drug-induced heart failure. According to this, we can say that this song teaches people to find the right way in life, and do not finish it like he did. The time of your death depends only on you,independently what you are and how old you are! You are the owner of your life.
ОтветитьУдалитьWe actually do learn a lot from this song. As for me, I never heard about River Phoenix, an American film actor, musician, and activist, and he used to be a "teenage idol" of his time. He OD-ed on October 31, 1993, and the following day the club, where he died, became a makeshift shrine with fans and mourners leaving flowers, pictures and candles on the sidewalk and graffiti messages on the walls of the venue. So you can actually say that his life (and especially his death) was a great event that affected a lot of people. Belinda also mentioned the Northridge quake, when the ground acceleration was one of the highest ever instrumentally recorded in an urban area in North America. The death toll came to a total of 57 people, and there were over 8,700 injured, making it one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. So, basically, she used two hard blows - physical and emotional - in the history of the Golden State to show the feeling of complete hopelessness in the place where nothing is left to stick to. And yet she stayes ("I'm back in the Golden State").
ОтветитьУдалитьWow! Now I don't know what to say after Tanya. And first of all I want to say, that I don't like this song. So the main things about River Phoenix and earth quake are said. And yup, this song is kinda unusual, special, and makes us to think a bit about all this things. But there is one little moment that I can't understand - "walk away from the sharks" WHY? They are so cute and friendly. Unbelievable! That's why I don't like this song.
ОтветитьУдалитьOh, wow. It's definitely not coutry music I'm so used to listening. In my understanding I think that this song highlights some main events that happened in the state of California, like the Northridge quake and the death of River Phoenix... Also I believe ( and have to agree with Irina on this one) it teaches us to value life and not to forget how short it is.
ОтветитьУдалитьAlex, love your comment on sharks! What's up with them being cute and friendly? My goodness.
Well in my own opinion this sond is very strange, somethink that I'm not used to listen to. But still it carries a good message about life in certain places and how difficult it must be.
Emmmmm.....I agree with Misha...In some things...
ОтветитьУдалитьBut i think this is usuall American song with no sense. Earth quakes...drugs...
River Phoenix guilty in his death cause he was junkie. Yes, life is very value, but nobody knows what will be with him tomorrow. Some sentences in song are really funny, may be she was under drugs like River Phoenix when wrote this song. And she would better sing about Michael Jackson and Freddy Mercury....or kittyes and puppyes it would make me feel more emotions)
This is fantastic song about her feelings. She lived in L.A, so perhaps you could perceive it to be about herself, leaving California even though she loves it to much. Maybe she decided to leave California because even though it was a fantastic place, she needed to get out and see the world.
ОтветитьУдалитьZ.Gorbenko