Anti-Californian .... how do you respond?

[kaisen]

I've heard Tool's song "Aenima" a bunch of times on the radio, but finally read all the lyrics. Maynard certainly doesn't like California.

There seems to be a huge contingency of Californians on this forum. What do you think of the song?

Tool - Ænima:

Some say the end is near.
Some say we'll see armageddon soon.
I certainly hope we will.
I sure could use a vacation from this

Bull***** three ring circus sideshow of
Freaks

Here in this hopeless f**king hole we call LA
The only way to fix it is to flush it all away.
Any f**king time. Any f**king day.
Learn to swim, I'll see you down in Arizona bay.

Fret for your figure and
Fret for your latte and
Fret for your lawsuit and
Fret for your hairpiece and
Fret for your prozac and
Fret for your pilot and
Fret for your contract and
Fret for your corrage.

It's a
Bull***** three ring circus sideshow of
Freaks

Here in this hopeless f**king hole we call LA
The only way to fix it is to flush it all away.
Any f**king time. Any f**king day.
Learn to swim, I'll see you down in Arizona bay.

Some say a comet will fall from the sky.
Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves.
Followed by faultlines that cannot sit still.
Followed by millions of dumbfounded dip*****s.

Some say the end is near.
Some say we'll see armageddon soon.
I certainly hope we will
I sure could use a vacation from this

stupid *****.. silly *****.. stupid *****

One great big festering neon distraction,
I've a suggestion to keep you all occupied.

Learn to swim.

Mom's gonna fix it all soon.
Mom's comin' round to put it back the way it ought to be.

Learn to swim.

F**k L Ron Hubbard and
F**k all his clones.
F**k all those gun-toting
Hip gangster wannabes.

Learn to swim.

F**k retro anything.
F**k your tattoos.
F**k all you junkies and
F**k your short memory.

Learn to swim.

F**k smiley glad-hands
With hidden agendas.
F**k these dysfunctional,
Insecure actresses.

Learn to swim.

Cuz I'm praying for rain
And I'm praying for tidal waves
I wanna see the ground give way.
I wanna watch it all go down.
Mom please flush it all away.
I wanna watch it go right in and down.
I wanna watch it go right in.
Watch you flush it all away.

Time to bring it down again.
Don't just call me pessimist.
Try and read between the lines.

I can't imagine why you wouldn't
Welcome any change, my friend.

I wanna see it all come down.
suck it down.
flush it down.


E

[bryanthompson]

I love Tool, and this is one of my favorite songs. I haven't listened to it in a while, though... had to cut down on the 'ol angry music.

[Boondoggie]

The song is an adaptation of something else... a poem, or a stand up "comedian" routine... from what I've heard.

[widebody911]

If California is so bad, then why do all the flyovervillians keep coming here? Don't like California? Get the **** out.

Emmigration is the most sincere form of flattery.

[Mulhollanddose]

I agree with it...Born and raised Angelino.

California is stunning geographically, but liberalism and immigration has ruined it (most specifically the "blue counties")

[pwd72s]

Originally posted by widebody911
If California is so bad, then why do all the flyovervillians keep coming here? Don't like California? Get the **** out.

Emmigration is the most sincere form of flattery.

NO-NO! STAY THERE! PLEASE! It rains a lot up here...over an inch of liquid sunshine predicted to arrive tomorrow...

[RANDY P]

Are you going though a TOOL revivial as well? I've been playing Aenima all last week. Most notably Stinkfist and Eulogy.

So Maynard hates LA?! Cool with me..

rjp

(PRO LA)

[cantdrv55]

I can see moving out of CA because of financial reasons such as RE prices and work opportunities. But being driven out due to politics is extreme.

[m325ix]

Originally posted by Mulhollanddose

California is stunning geographically, but liberalism and immigration has ruined it (most specifically the "blue counties")

I agree 100 % !!! I spent the last 2 years living in San Francisco and just came back to NJ. I was astonished to see the degree of liberalism which is present everywhere in CA, it is scary ! I love Cali, it's so nice and pretty and clean and beautiful, but common, people need to wake up from their pink dreams and see what's going on in the world around them...

[pbs911]

True Californians don't live in LA anymore. . .

[MikeSid]

I'd be hard pressed to believe that anybody from California cares much about anti-CA songs. Some would probably agree with the sentiment while still loving where they live.

If you set up a California "battle of the bands", pro California songs would win by a Reaganesque landslide [watch this thread turn political]. Anti-cal you get one song each from the Chilipeppers and the Eagles (both ironically enough) and this Tool song.

Without trying too hard I can probably think of a dozen or so pro-CA songs - some significant...like California Dreaming and California Girls....others less than significant like Randy Newman's "I Love LA" or Journey's song about SF bay - whatever it is.

You wanna write a song about transportation problems and rain in Seattle. I couldn't disagree with it. But I also probably wouldn't care.

Now about that 1980 election...

[Superman]

Originally posted by Mulhollanddose
I agree with it...Born and raised Angelino.

California is stunning geographically, but liberalism and immigration has ruined it (most specifically the "blue counties")

You moved to the wrong place, Mul. I doubt that California is more liberal than Western Washington and Western Washington University is located in Bellingham. They have one of the finest collections of outdoor sculptures anywhere. Here, we read more books and have higher levels of education than anywhere in the country. Your new home is packed with people you hate.

[juanbenae]

yeah it sucks here, i would recommend none of you thinking of coming do so. stay where you are and we will both be happier.

[scottmandue]

Funny (or not) how most anti Californians... live_in_California...

Obviously some people enjoy being pissed off, WTF if you don't like it here (or anywhere you are at) life is too short, MOVE!

You Oregonians need to get up with the times, everyone is moving to Arizona and Nevada. Moving to Oregon is soooo 80's.

I like Oregon and Washington state... heck I like most places I have been on work trips and vacations, Texas, Florida, Mass., K.C., Milwaukee, etc., etc.

Every city and state seems to have it's fair share of nice people and A-holes.

Only place I would move to is Hawaii, which is ironically the only place more expensive than L.A.

When I retire I may look into relocating to the central California coast.

[coloradoporsche]

I read the lyrics and the song does not seem anti-California at all. Sounds like they are trying to make a statement about the stereotypical LA, Prozac-taking, latte-drinking, L. Ron Hubbard-reading Hollywood culture.

So what? It’s just rock and roll lyrics. You Angelinos are soooo sensitive

[Mulhollanddose]

Originally posted by Superman
You moved to the wrong place, Mul. I doubt that California is more liberal than Western Washington and Western Washington University is located in Bellingham. They have one of the finest collections of outdoor sculptures anywhere. Here, we read more books and have higher levels of education than anywhere in the country. Your new home is packed with people you hate.

There are 10x the amount (compared to LA) of Bush bumper-stickers up here...Plenty of hate-filled lefty bumperstickers too.

BTW...I am rarely a person who hates people individually. I despise ideologies that share values with the greatest philosophical monsters the world has seen.

No matter how you slice it more government and more taxation do not move society in the direction of liberty or freedom. The only "rights" liberals want you to have are the right to harm yourself, engage in aberrant sexual deviance, and the presumed right to murder your child...Everything else they want to tax, regulate or otherwise control, including your life and everything you do.

Slouching toward Gamorrha, right down the road from servitude.

[Dixie]

Here, we read more books and have higher levels of education than anywhere in the country

That's only true because California has more people.

It's like the statement that more Americans live in poverty than ever before. It's only true because there are more Americans than ever before. One rarely hears the more accurate truth that the percentage living in poverty has gone down.

[ubiquity0]

Originally posted by Capt. Carrera
That's only true because California has more people.

err... I think he's talking about Western WA & assume must be referencing rates rather than total numbers.

[bryanthompson]

Originally posted by Superman
Here, we read more books and have higher levels of education than anywhere in the country.

yet one out of five high school seniors failed the graduation exam
http://www.latimes.com/news/education/la-093005exit_lat,0,1534949.story?coll=la-home-headlines

The exit exam, which has come under criticism by some educators, legislators and civil rights advocates, is geared to an 8th grade level in math and to ninth- and 10th grade levels in English.

Wow, that sounds really difficult

[MikeSid]

If reading comprehension were on the test I'm not sure you'd pass Brian.