Alanis Morissette – Big Sur lyrics

Alanis Morissette wrote this song as a tribute to Big Sur on the coast of California, a 90 mile coastal stretch between the Carmel River to the north, and San Carpoforo Creek to the south. The original occupants of the wilderness of Big Sur included three Indian tribes, the Ohlone, Esselen and Salinan, who were wiped out mostly due to forced labor, disease and malnutrition after the eventual colonization of Spanish mariners. Writers and artists settled there in the mid-20th century, including those whom Morissette names in her song: Henry Miller, Jack Kerouac, Richard Brautigan, as well as Hunter S. Thompson, Emile Norman, Edward Weston and Robinson Jeffers. Anaïs Nin, famous writer, and also a lover and patron of Henry Miller. Julia is a reference to the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, which is named after Julia Pfeiffer Burns, a well-respected pioneer woman in the Big Sur country. Helmuth refers to the couple who helped define the style of the Big Sur: Helmuth Deetjen and Helen Haight Deetjen. Mickey refers to Mickey Muennig – the Big Sur architect who personifies the green glory of Big Sur. A part of the Big Sur coastline is the Nepenthe Restaurant which was originally a log cabin that housed Lolly and Bill Fassett and their five children. It became Nepenthe when they realized that the only way to keep their family amply fed was to open a restaurant. The East Molera Trail is a famous Big Sur Hill climb. Mountains, meadows and the mouth of Big Sur River are some of the highlights of a walk through Andrew Molera State Park, which is the largest state park along the Big Sur coast. Morissette also mentions writing "among monarchs and mist". This reference comes from a book called: Monarchs of the Mist: The Story of Redwood National Park and the Coast Redwoods. Esalen’s cliff-side hot springs have been in ritual and healing use by the Esselen Indians and others for more than 6,000 years. The Esalen Institute in Big Sur consists of buildings which were a primary influence on designers and builders of handmade log cabins in the 1960s and ’70s during the Eco Movement. Among the buildings of the Esalen Institute is a tiny cabin called Waterfall House, as well as another called the Fritz Perls House. This is where Morissette makes a reference to "Fritz in cabins and logs".