fastfordfocus December 17th, 2008 04:28PM  

This song is actually about one of the themes from the 1944 Archibald T. Higgs book, "Manslaughter Madhouse: The Transition From Isolationism to Corporate Slavery of The Mind"
In the song, "California" represents a place far away. It is important to note that the singer never mentions where he is coming from. This is the essence of a modern social free-roam prison (America).
He may not even know where he is, but he knows where he wants to go. His life is blurry, but his dreams are clear. The singer fills the role of the waking spirit traveler, as described in so many books by Higgs and his contemporaries.
At the beginning of the song, the singer is entering the second spirit mind phase, the birth of the life center essence. Most people go their entire lives without ever reaching this stage. You could say that, as a newly awakened spirit, he is just beginning to wipe the sleep from his eyes. He still longs for shattered images of things he once believed in, but his spirit of adventure shines through.
In the second part of the song, the singer has reached the most critical part of his journey, where time and light become as one, dancing in a cascade of beauty and love. This period of a spirits travel is known as the communination. It is said to be the most beautiful thing the universe has to offer.
This is a song of hope. It tells the story of a man throwing of the shackles placed on him at birth in order to pursue his honest destiny.
As a personal note, I can only listen to this song once every year or two, because it's so powerful.

anonymous January 15th, 2009 06:51AM  

I really really adore this song! It is such a beatiful masterpiece. As of interpretation i do agree with most of fastfordfocus. Indeed this is a song of hope, but more specifically it is a song of "the american dream". Going west, California is for many people as west as it gets, and pursuing happiness. This song is just af 1970's interpretation of the american dream, were California was the place to go for all who wanted to be a part of the cultural changes the world were undegoing (anti-vietnam, YOUTH culture, drugs, hippies in SF, music). Word for word there's is much more in it, and I do believe this is art at its best.

anonymous April 2nd, 2009 03:23PM  

It's about the death of Joni Mitchell.