Raised in Connecticut, Pureka is said to have begun writing songs at the age of eight; by 16 they were playing the guitar. Following performances at local coffee houses and open mics, they began opening shows for such artists as Erin McKeown and Pamela Means while completing a degree in biology at Wesleyan University. After graduating, they worked in a microbiology research lab at Smith College in Northampton, eventually leaving to focus on their music full-time. In June 2001, they recorded a self-titled seven-song EP in preparation for a three-month nationwide tour with lesbian folk poet Alix Olson.
In 2004, Pureka released Driving North, their first full-length album, earning rave reviews from fans and fellow artists alike. In 2006, they released Dryland, and toured the US a second time as a headlining act. In May 2007, Pureka was a member of the month-long New American Songwriter Tour in New York City, Philadelphia, and Massachusetts. The tour also featured Krystle Warren, Jesse Harris and Ryan Scott. In July 2007, Pureka's song, "Swann Song" won 1st Place in the Acoustic competition on the independent music site OurStage.com.
In October 2007, Pureka was nominated for 2007's Outstanding Folk Act by the Boston Music Awards. They were also awarded an ASCAPLUS award in the summer of 2007.
Pureka is the founder of their label, Sad Rabbit Music. As well as their own releases, they have lent their vocals and guitar playing to several tracks by artists like Olson and Arjuna Greist; a notable track is "Checking My Pulse" with Olson, which went on to become a relative hit for Olson.
Pureka identifies as genderqueer and cultivates an androgynous appearance. They have received positive reviews in the long-running radical feminist publication off our backs and other magazines. Pureka's music does not deal explicitly with LGBT issues, focusing instead on emotional interactions between individuals.
On January 20, 2009, Pureka released a fourth album, an EP entitled Chimera. In April 2010, Pureka released their fifth album, How I Learned To See In The Dark
www.chrispureka.com
California
Chris Pureka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lands on the ceiling
Meanders down the wall to where you're sleeping
And I'm trying to memorize
Your every morning movements
The roll and rise of you
Cause it's too late to run
And I'm tangled in the barbed wire
You hung around your bed
But honey I'll never learn
It takes me so long
And when I finally fall
You know, they're always gone,
It's hard…
Early morning haze
Packing the car
What to bring and what to leave behind love
You've got a car full of clothes
You've got your Steinbeck novels
You've got your wine glasses
You've got your summer sandals
You've got your sunglasses
You're ready to go
To the gold state…
The gold coast…
And oh…
The sun comes through the shade
Lands on the ceiling
Came 93 million miles
Just to be here
Maybe its not so far
Maybe its not so far
Maybe its not so far
To California….
The lyrics to Chris Pureka's song California paint a vivid picture of a relationship that is reaching its end. The opening lines describe the sun coming through the shades and landing on the ceiling, providing warmth to the room. The singer is trying to memorize the movements of their partner who is still sleeping. They seem to be caught up in the moment, trying to hold onto the last few moments of being with their partner before they depart. The singer expresses regret, saying that it’s too late to run when you’re caught in a snare and that they’re tangled in barbed wire. They’ve been unable to learn from their past experiences, and when they finally fall in love, it always seems like the other person leaves.
The second verse of the song is about packing up and leaving for California. The singer describes the haze of early morning and the difficulty of deciding what to bring and what to leave behind. They list the items that their partner is bringing with them: clothes, books, wine glasses, summer sandals, and sunglasses. They’re ready to leave for the “gold state” and the “gold coast,” which is often a reference to California. The final lines of the song bring the opening lines back in, with the sun coming through the shade and landing on the ceiling, this time saying that it came 93 million miles just to be there. The final line repeats the idea that maybe it’s not so far to California, suggesting that the singer is considering moving there as well.
Overall, the lyrics to California encapsulate a relationship coming to an end and the bittersweet feelings that often come with it. The singer is caught between holding onto their partner and knowing that they’ll eventually leave, while also considering their own future and the possibility of moving on.
Line by Line Meaning
The sun comes through the shade,
The sun peeks through the curtain's shade and enters the room.
Lands on the ceiling
The light falls on the ceiling of the room.
Meanders down the wall to where you're sleeping
The stream of sunlight travels down the wall and touches your sleeping body.
And I'm trying to memorize
I'm trying to commit to memory.
Your every morning movements
The way you move in the morning.
The roll and rise of you
The movements of your body as you wake up.
Cause it's too late to run
It's too late to leave.
When you're caught in the snare
When you're trapped in something dangerous.
And I'm tangled in the barbed wire
I'm caught up in something prickly and difficult to escape.
You hung around your bed
You surrounded yourself with familiar things.
But honey I'll never learn
I'll never change.
It takes me so long
It takes me a while.
And when I finally fall
When I make a mistake.
You know, they're always gone,
Everyone always leaves.
It's hard…
It's difficult.
Early morning haze
The fog that appears early in the mornings.
Packing the car
Loading the car with belongings.
What to bring and what to leave behind love
Deciding what to take and what to leave behind.
You've got a car full of clothes
You've packed your car full of clothes.
You've got your Steinbeck novels
You've brought John Steinbeck's novels with you.
You've got your wine glasses
You've packed wine glasses to use in California.
You've got your summer sandals
You've packed sandals for the warm weather.
You've got your sunglasses
You've brought sunglasses for the bright sun.
You're ready to go
You're prepared to depart.
To the gold state…
To the golden state of California.
The gold coast…
Referring to California's Pacific coastline and beaches.
And oh…
An expression of excitement and wonder.
Came 93 million miles
The sun traveled 93 million miles to reach Earth.
Just to be here
The sun exists solely to bring light and warmth to Earth.
Maybe it's not so far
Maybe California isn't as far away as it seems.
To California…
To the state of California.
Contributed by Bailey F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.