Alt Rock Autumn Day Five: Santa Monica By Everclear

Day Five.

Yesterday for day four I covered one of Weezers all time greatest hits in Say It Ain’t So; a soft song about Rivers Cuomos childhood with father figures who had an issue putting down the bottle. Today for day five, we’ll be examining a song from the Portland, Oregon band Everclear.

Today, I’ll be covering Santa Monica by Everclear.

Santa Monica dropped as a single in 1995 after the release of the bands second single Heroin Girl. It’s the fourth track on Everclears second studio album Sparkle and Fade which dropped on May 23, 1995. The grunge era hit exhibits smooth guitar playing a “du-du, du-du-du-du-du-du, du-du-du-du-du-du, du-du-du-du-du” rhythm that hits the ear in a satisfying manner.

In a 2003 interview that Everclears frontman Art Alexakis did with Songfacts, he elaborated on Santa Monicas meaning. He stated that Santa Monica, California was where he grew up as a kid and how it’s a bit of a safe haven for him. “I've lived in cold places and been in bad relationships, and I think everybody has a place in their mind that is like a safe haven. It's also about getting away from bad times ... the ending of something is also the beginning of something new, whether it's with someone or getting out of a bad job, a bad way of life or an abusive relationship.”

Alexakis didn’t have an easy upbringing. When he was five, his father left. When his family had to move to the projects in Los Angeles, he was physically and sexually abused by older children in his neighborhood. At age twelve, Alexakis’ brother George died of a heroin overdose. In that same year, his fifteen year old girlfriend committed suicide which led him to jump off the Santa Monica Pier with sand and lead weights in his pockets. He survived, but at age thirteen he began using crystal meth and became addicted to cocaine and heroin, eventually surviving a cocaine overdose at twenty two. In 1989, he quit drugs cold turkey.

I do find it odd that Alexakis references Santa Monica as his comfort place when talking about this song, because it seems like so many traumatic experiences occurred in his youth here.

Santa Monica opens with “I am still living with your ghost, Lonely and dreaming of the west coast.” He’s still thinking of his girlfriend from his youth who committed suicide, but still dreams of his happy place on the west coast, Santa Monica. The following lyrics sound like a plea or ultimatum with a girl. “I don't want to be your downtime, I don't want to be your stupid game.” He doesn’t want to keep getting played by a girl, he want’s her to prioritize him.

“I don't want do your sleepwalk dance anymore.” I believe this line refers back to his girlfriend that took her own life. Alexakis slipped into depression and drug abuse following her death and he’s trying to shake her from his dreams. While he still has an emotional connection, he’s struggling to deal with guilt or a heavy conscience. Right before the chorus, Alexakis sings “I just want to see some palm trees, I will try and shake away this disease.” This is his way of wanting to shake depression and how he’s feeling by going back to his home in Santa Monica.

“We could live beside the ocean, Leave the fire behind, Swim out past the breakers, Watch the world die, We could live beside the ocean, Leave the fire behind, Swim out past the breakers, Watch the world die.” The chorus is Alexakis’ return to Santa Monica, but a line I really like that’s used almost as a double entendre is “Swim out past the breakers”. I like this line so much because while it means, go for a swim past the breakers, I think Alexakis is also saying he wants to go somewhere more free and less controlled. When you’re swimming at the beach and you go past the breakers, the lifeguards tell you that you’re “out of their zone”, so you’re essentially on your own.

Verse three opens with “I am still dreaming of your face, Hungry and hollow for all the things you took away.” Again, Alexakis is looking back to his girlfriend who committed suicide. He can still see her face in dreams and still thinks about her often. The line of “…all the things you took away” is an interesting one. When his girlfriend took her own like, Alexakis attempted to commit suicide and fell into depression leading to drug use that almost took his life again at twenty two. Maybe this is what Alexakis means with what was taken away?

“I'll walk right out into a brand new day, Insane and rising in my own weird way, I don't want to be the bad guy, I don't want to do your sleepwalk dance anymore, I just want to feel some sunshine, I just want to find some place to be alone.” Verse four, which wraps the song up, is Alexakis’ way of telling people he’s going back to Santa Monica. While some may find it weird, it’s his own way and all he wants is to feel some sunshine and be secluded.

Santa Monica peaked in 1996 on the US Mainstream Rock chart at number one, Canada Rock/Alternative chart at number four, and number five on the US Alternative Airplay chart. In 2021, the website Classic Rock History named Santa Monica as Everclears greatest song, right above my personal favorite, Father Of Mine.

Santa Monica is a truly emotional song about how where you’re from can be the most comforting place, no matter what happened in your past.