Song Meaning
The narrator recounts a past experience in Havasu, a place defined by its vibrant sunsets and stucco architecture. There, a fleeting romance blossomed, though the lyrics suggest an awareness from the start that it wouldn't last, describing a "flexible attitude" that perhaps allowed for the transient nature of the connection. This sets a tone of beautiful but temporary encounters.
This theme of impermanence carries into the second verse, set in Santa Cruz amidst towering redwoods and the vast ocean. The advice to "keep a flexible attitude" echoes the first verse, but it's now coupled with a directive: "don't fall away." This suggests a shift from passively accepting transience to actively trying to sustain something, even while acknowledging the need to "stay in motion."
The contrast between "lost myself" in Havasu and the later instruction to "prepare yourself to stay" in Santa Cruz is striking. The initial state is one of surrender to a place and a feeling, leading to a love that was never meant to be a lasting companionship. The latter, however, implies a conscious effort to remain present and grounded, even as external circumstances or the nature of life itself demands constant movement.
Ultimately, the lyrics capture a poignant tension between embracing fleeting moments of beauty and love, and the human desire to hold onto them. The "flexible attitude" serves as a coping mechanism, allowing for both deep experience and the inevitable departures, hinting at a wisdom gained through repeated cycles of connection and loss.
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