Santa Monica (Everclear song)
"Santa Monica" (subtitled "Watch the World Die" in Europe) is a song by American rock band Everclear, from their 1995 album "Sparkle and Fade". The song was written by the band's lead singer, Art Alexakis. Though it was not officially released as a single in the United States, American radio stations played "Santa Monica" enough for it to reach number 29 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 Airplay chart and top the "Billboard" Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for three weeks in 1996. It became a top-forty hit in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the  United Kingdom; it is the band's highest-charting single in Australia. Background and content. In an October 2003 interview with "Songfacts", Alexakis explained the song: When Alexakis was a teenager, his girlfriend committed suicide; shortly thereafter, Alexakis attempted the same by jumping off the Santa Monica Pier in southern California. One theory as to the meaning of this song is that Alexakis was drawing on this experience from earlier in his life. Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the song was placed on the list of post-9/11 inappropriate titles distributed by Clear Channel Communications. Track listings. US  7-inch jukebox vinyl UK limited-edition 7-inch red vinyl single UK CD1 UK CD2 European maxi-CD single Dutch maxi-CD single Australian CD single