After a solo tour in the fall of 2003, Alexakis decided to continue with Everclear, organizing a new band that made its debut in March of 2004. The new lineup consisted of bass player Sam Hudson, guitarist Dave French, and drummer Eric Bretl. In the summer of 2004, the band added keyboard player Josh Crawley, and swapped Bretl for former Everclear drum tech Brett Snyder. The new lineup released its first recording, a cover of Woody Guthrie's This Land Is Your Land, that summer. A self-released EP of performances recorded for XM Satellite Radio called Closure was given out at shows in the fall of 2004.
Free of a major label, Alexakis spent the ensuing year and half slowly recording material for a new Everclear release. He admitted that the time after the breakup of the original lineup served as a "wake up call", during which he suffered his third divorce and a filing for bankruptcy. Alexakis announced the completion of the album in early 2006,titled Welcome To The Drama Club. The new band is now on Eleven Seven Music.
In August of 2008, drummer Brett Snyder left the band after four years. He was then replaced by Tommy Stewart, who previously played in bands Fuel and Godsmack.
Culver Palms
Everclear Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it doesn't really read at all
Like the whipping stick you raised me with
A scared woman in a private hell
Hushed voice like electric bell
Strange talk about Edgar Cayce
And the long lame walk of the dark 70's
And the long lame walk of the dark 70's
I heard the truth about you, yeah you
Mama they woke me up
I was deep in an idiot sleep
I was just eight years old
I heard big words with a horrible sound
Mama they called my school
To tell me my mother had a nervous breakdown
I wish I believed like you do, yeah you
In the myth of a merciful God
In the myth of a heaven or hell
I hear the voices you hear sometimes
Sometimes it gets so much, I feel like letting go
Sometimes it gets so hard, I feel like letting it go
Sometimes it gets so Goddamn hard, I feel like letting it all go
Letting it all go
Letting it all go
Letting it all go
Letting it all go
Letting it all go
Ran away, went looking for you
Back to Culver City and the old neighbourhood
Need to know if you were really gone
Need to know if you were gone for good
I ran through the projects at night
Hide in the dark from my friends in the light
Hide from my brother-in-law
Hide from the things he'd say
Said you weren't losing your mind
Said you just needed a rest
Said you'd be coming home soon
Said the doctors there would know what's best
Said that maybe I could go live with them for a while
I heard the truth about you
I know the truth about you
I know the truth about you
I know the truth, I know the truth
I know the truth, I know the truth
I know the truth about you
Yeah, they woke me up
I was just eight years old
Sometimes it gets so hard, I feel like letting it go
Sometimes it gets so hard, I feel like letting it all go
Letting it all go
Letting it all go
Yeah, letting it all go
Letting it all go
Letting it all go
The song "Culver Palms" by Everclear is a deeply personal and emotional exploration of the singer's complicated relationship with their mother. The opening verse sets the stage for the rest of the song, with the singer revealing that they have learned something about their mother that doesn't match up with the way she treated them as a child. The "whipping stick" reference suggests that the mother was physically abusive, while the "scared woman in a private hell" line hints at a deeper emotional turmoil.
The next verse takes a turn into the supernatural with a reference to Edgar Cayce, a self-proclaimed psychic from the early 1900s. The singer's mother apparently had an interest in Cayce's teachings, which may have contributed to her odd behavior. The chorus returns to the theme of the singer struggling to believe in a merciful God or an afterlife, as they confront the harsh reality of their own life.
The final verse is a flashback to the singer's childhood, when they were told that their mother had a nervous breakdown and would need to stay in a hospital. This traumatic event left a lasting impact on the singer, who ran away to try to find their mother and learn the truth of what was happening. The final lines repeat the theme of wanting to let go of the painful memories and struggles, but being unable to fully let go of the past.
Overall, "Culver Palms" is a powerful and hauntingly beautiful song that explores the complex and often painful relationships between parents and children, and the struggles we all face in trying to make sense of our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard the truth about you
I learned something about you that contradicts the way you raised me
And it doesn't really read at all
It's hard to believe the truth I learned about you because it doesn't match who you presented yourself as
Like the whipping stick you raised me with
You were abusive towards me and used physical violence to discipline me
A scared woman in a private hell
You were a frightened person dealing with personal demons
Hushed voice like electric bell
Your voice was quiet but had an intense and jarring quality to it
Strange talk about Edgar Cayce
You had eccentric beliefs and interests, like the famous psychic Edgar Cayce
And the long lame walk of the dark 70's
You were part of a challenging and difficult era in history, possibly referring to social and political issues of the 1970s
Mama they woke me up
I was abruptly alerted to a problem or situation involving you
I was deep in an idiot sleep
I was sound asleep, unaware of the situation
I wish I believed like you do, yeah you
I wish I shared your religious and spiritual beliefs
In the myth of a merciful God
You believe in the idea of a kind and compassionate God
In the myth of a heaven or hell
You believe in the concept of an afterlife with potential positive or negative consequences
I hear the voices you hear sometimes
I sometimes experience auditory hallucinations, possibly due to genetics or mental health issues that run in the family
Sometimes it gets so much, I feel like letting go
I sometimes feel so overwhelmed by life that I consider giving up
Ran away, went looking for you
I left home in search of you
Back to Culver City and the old neighbourhood
I returned to the area where we used to live
Need to know if you were really gone
I needed to confirm whether you had truly left and weren't coming back
Need to know if you were gone for good
I needed to know if you had left permanently
I know the truth about you
I have a clear understanding of who you really are
Yeah, letting it all go
I am considering completely letting go of the burdens I am carrying
Contributed by Jordan S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
toribjork10
wow, this is my favorite everclear song. i had no idea it was an older song, this version is so much sadder. thanks for the upload.