Olé Mulholland

Song Meaning

“Olé Mulholland” paints a vivid, almost surreal picture of Southern California, celebrating human ambition while hinting at its inherent fragility. The lyrics open with a stark command, "There it is. Take it," setting a tone of bold acquisition. We meet a "sleepy monster in the sand," a primal force awakened, juxtaposed with the grand engineering feat of Mulholland. The central tension arises from the clash between human pride and the raw, untamed environment. The narrator boasts of a "comfortable ride" capable of escaping "these faults" into Vegas, yet the celebratory "Olé, olé, olé for Mulholland" chant is immediately undercut by the unsettling image of "ants are crawling / Down on Bradbury's mall." This contrast suggests a creeping, mundane decay beneath the surface of grand designs. The craft here is in the evolving imagery and unexpected juxtapositions. A "tank that thinks" from the "Pacific Rim" appears, later morphing into a "think tank" with questions about its "I.Q. for the moon." This technological ambition is then weighed against the enduring "concrete of the aqueduct," which the lyrics claim "will last as long as the pyramids of Egypt." Such bold statements about permanence are strikingly contrasted with the fleeting nature of political figures like "Job Harriman." Ultimately, these lyrics are effective because they create a sense of uneasy wonder. The initial celebration of Mulholland's water project, a triumph over the desert, slowly gives way to a more ominous outlook.