Bill Evans - California, Here I Come
I have a soft spot for Bill Evans. He was my study-buddy for much of my final year of university. As for the song, it's the official unofficial state song of California (who knew states had official songs?). After a scandalous setback in the form of a state legislature resolution favoring "I Love You, California" in 1951, the song suffered its final defeat in 1988, when "I Love You, California" was officially declared the state song (according to Wikipedia).
Wikipedia tales aside, I think it says something about Californians if "California, Here I Come" is a strong contender for their state song. It's the Golden State, everyone dreams of seeing the sun set over the Pacific--even the most callous of New Yorkers secretly indulge in this fantasy. There's an undeniable allure to the state that's home to movie stars, gangstas, and governators; deserts, mountains, and beaches. Perhaps it's just that California is still kind of stuck in the years where they felt they had to advertise themselves to settle the place (state motto "Find Yourself Here" seems indicative of this very affliction). But ultimately I think there's more to it than that. The song resonates with the American Dream, Manifest Destiny: the almost absurd adherence to the belief that in America, we can just pick up, move out, and carve out a new life for ourselves in the sun. And maybe it was this very notion that brought me there in the first place, helped push me back one more time...
Though the fact that "I Love You, California" won out may speak volumes more about the self-absorbed, self-reverent reputation the state's inhabitants are known for. Just sayin.
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