California

The song follows a speaker who is traveling in Europe but feels increasingly out of place. Reading bleak news and walking among strangers make her long for California, where she imagines seeing familiar people and hearing rock music. The mood shifts from dissatisfaction and loneliness toward a hopeful, urgent wish to return. Yet the repeated question about being welcomed “as I am” suggests that going home may not solve everything.

Several images express this tension. Paris feels “old and cold and settled in its ways,” making it seem closed to change, while California represents familiarity and emotional comfort. The “streets full of strangers” make travel feel isolating rather than exciting. In Spain, the speaker says she will stay only until her skin turns brown: this lightly suggests enjoying the sun, but also hints that her travels are temporary. “Gives you the blues” means makes you sad, especially as news from home reminds her of war and upheaval.

The song can be read as both a celebration of home and a confession of restlessness. The speaker has met interesting people and seen new places, but her attachment to California remains strong. Still, the final plea—“Will you take me as I am?”—leaves open what she fears: perhaps she has changed, feels vulnerable, or doubts whether home will accept her.