One thing I’ve always really appreciated about “La Cienega Just Smiled” is how casual the imagery is. It all starts with the one of the first lines: “It’s on with the jeans, a jacket, and a shirt.” You also get the impression that this relationship isn’t necessarily as serious as the one found in some other songs. There’s still a level of uncertainty that comes with a young relationship, and when he sings “I’m too scared to know how I feel about you now”, it’s all painfully obvious. This whole song is about not being able to understand someone. He’s going through all of this trouble to figure her out, and she acts like it’s all no big deal. She just smiles and waves goodbye…
This is one I think most listeners can relate to pretty easily. At one point or another, we’ve all been attracted to a person who sometimes seems like they’re more work than they’re worth. I think it’s really great that the song doesn’t provide any closure as to how he ends up feeling about her. She just says she’ll see him around. (Whatever that means…)
But f course what makes the song so great is its sound. It’s just ridiculously addictive.
What happened, no more posts?
i’m going to disagree with you on this. i also think this this is about a man caught between two evils.
one – he is in a serious relationship with someone and meets someone new. sparks, emotional, love at first sight with this person. instant. the flames have been gone in the serious relationship (on with the jeans, the jacket and the shirt – i.e. going through the motions) and he doesn’t know which woman to choose. the one that is long term and safe, the one that is new and exciting (neither of you really help me to sleep anymore…)
two – he is battling a drug addiction and it is beginning take priority over his relationship, which is failing because of said addiction.
just some thoughts.
this is one of my top-five favourite ryan songs, and one that has always spoken to me so deeply. La Cienega is in my backyard and has been imprinted on some of my growing up moments (adolescence, learning to drive, working at a record store at the top of La Cienega)
I always felt it was about the push and pull of a relationship where one person (Ryan’s pov, in this case) felt more than the other (the “little girl” referenced). I think it also teeters on the exploration of addiction. The bottle/addiction is one of the two things that doesn’t help him sleep anymore, the “she” is the other part.
The song seems to be searching for a moment of clarity or closure, and is sad to me…but I love it.
this is a great site. I’m glad my friend showed it to me.