Lyr Req: California Dreamin' (Mamas & Papas)

Subject: RE: lyrics-California Dreamin' (Mamas & Papas)
From: Peter Timmerman
Date: 07 May 97 - 03:32 PM

Dear Frank, Not to move topics completely, but I think this raises a question of what the Web ought to be for. It should be to enhance human interaction, not the proliferation of search engines. To my mind a discussion forum is a kind of commons, to which people belong and contribute out of modified self-interest -- that is, they are willing to help others on the assumption that when they need something, there are others with a whole other range of expertise available. This mutual aid is much more efficient than a whole stack of Web browsers, and of course more interesting. The secret is (as Elsie would say) is manners, and not trying people's patience too much. I don't think there is anything wrong with out of limits requests or shots-in-the-dark from time to time: that is human efficiency at its best. A sort of creative shuffling and negotitation process. Why work through programmes, search engines and the rest -- which are incredibly frustrating and time consuming -- when you can ask other people using the Web? No Yahoo/Altavista in the world can beat Dick and Susan and Gene and Bert and Frank and whoever else is DT (or so I have learned). There will never be an IBM "Deep Folk"!! Yours, Peter

Subject: RE: lyrics-California Dreamin' (Mamas & Papas)
From: Wolfgang
Date: 20 Mar 01 - 04:18 AM

I think it is a perfect moment in time to refresh this old thread.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: lyrics-California Dreamin' (Mamas & Papas)
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 20 Mar 01 - 04:47 AM

Wonder what happened to all those posters of 1997 we no longer hear from? (I don't need to know, I'm just nosy!)
RtS

Subject: RE: lyrics-California Dreamin' (Mamas & Papas)
From: Grab
Date: 20 Mar 01 - 02:21 PM

And no-one ever did post "My boomerang won't come back" for Joe...

Grab.

Subject: RE: lyrics-California Dreamin' (Mamas & Papas)
From: Justa Picker
Date: 20 Mar 01 - 02:34 PM

Here you go Joe.

Subject: RE: lyrics-California Dreamin' (Mamas & Papas)
From: toadfrog
Date: 22 Nov 02 - 09:58 PM

Hey! It's the theme song from Shanghai Express

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: California Dreamin' (Mamas & Papas)
From: clueless don
Date: 15 Aug 08 - 08:49 AM

Referring to earlier discussions on this thread (back in '97), I have this thought. I understand that this is (as Bill D always used to remind us) a "folk and blues forum". And yet, I have found it to be a valuable resource for more general music. I have learned much by posting inquiries (enquiries?) here, many of them not about folk songs. It is a place where one's question may be read and, often, answered by actual human beings.

The counter argument, as I understand it, is that questions about non-folk music should be posted on a more appropriate forum. My question is: What is that forum?? I'm not trying to be cute here - I would genuinely like to know where there is a forum that works the way the mudcat forum works, but which is concerned with more general music.

Don

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: California Dreamin' (Mamas & Papas)
From: Mr Happy
Date: 15 Aug 08 - 09:04 AM

Don,

Your thought also kind've again raises that thorny issue of 'what is a folk song?'

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: California Dreamin' (Mamas & Papas)
From: pdq
Date: 15 Aug 08 - 09:12 AM

According to Barry "Eve of Destruction" McGuire, he recorded this song and a group of unknowns was brought in at a later recording session to do the background vocals. The producer liked them so much that he had McGuire's vocal track erased and the Mommas and the Poppas recorded over the original version. He claims that if you turn the song up loud, you can still hear traces of his singing.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: California Dreamin' (Mamas & Papas)
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 16 Aug 08 - 02:12 AM

All the leaves are brown
And the sky is grey
I went for a walk
On a winter's day
I'd be safe and warm
If I was in L.A.
California dreamin'
On such a winter's day

I stopped into a church (stopped into a church)
I passed along the way (passed along the way)
You know, I got down on my knees (got down on my knees)
And I pretend to pray (I pretend to pray)
Oh, the preacher likes the cold (preacher likes the cold)
He knows I'm gonna stay (knows I'm gonna stay)
Oh, California dreamin' (California dreamin')
On such a winter's day

All the leaves are brown (the leaves are brown)
And the sky is grey (and the sky is grey)
I went for a walk (I went for a walk)
On a winter's day (on a winter's day)
If I didn't tell her (if I didn't tell her)
I could leave today (I could leave today)

Oh, California dreamin' (California dreamin')
On such a winter's day (California dreamin')
On such a winter's day (California dreamin')
On such a winter's day (California dreamin')
On such a winter's day

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: California Dreamin' (Mamas & Papas)
From: AndyHowell
Date: 04 Dec 09 - 08:57 PM

Wow, this is quite a thread with the perfect ending finally giving the lyrics. You can almost hear them singing. But there is a mistake in the lyrics that must be corrected. I sing folk songs and write some as well, and saw Arlo a couple of years ago finish a set with a story or him and Pete touring in Europe. Pete is the best at sing alongs and Arlo is second. So on this night he told this story that for an encore he decided he wanted the audience to sing along. So he told them that he was going to do a song from one of America's most famous folk singers --- Elvis Presley. He said he thought Pete was going to strangle him as he started in with "Wise men say, only fools rush in" he said he looked over at Pete and Pete was strumming his banjo. Pete knew it. With all the argument about folk songs, it was, Arlo said more important that folks sing -- together, for that brings us together. And so I thought California Dreaming would be perfect for that for as a single singer, I couldn't echo the lines back to myself but an audience could. So I looked up the lyrics on the internet and was given my first clue by the first sight I found that said they listened to the song and wrote the lyrics from that. The mistake is in the second verse. "You know the preacher likes the cold. He knows I'm gonna stay" it didn't make sense. I'd always sung it another way. And so I found an old vinyl album (remember vinyl?)of the Mamas and Papas and there were the words I remembered printed on the back, which I guess two generations from those of us who wandered this country with backpacks and our thumbs out, you wouldn't realize the mistake (and in reference to the lyrics above the first two line are not repeated.

Stopped into a church
I passed alone the way
Well I got down on my knees
And I pretend to pray
You know the preacher lights the coals
He knows I'm gonna stay
California Dreaming
On such a winters day

You see the difference. If we were all to sing together, get out on the road together again, we'd instinctively know the difference, I guess. That was a long time ago. Haven't played that song in years, but it did mean something once. It's cold here as I write this. A little dreaming never hurt.

Subject: Lyr Add: CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' (J & M Phillips)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 06 Dec 09 - 02:13 PM

Andy: I liked your story about singing this song and inviting audience participation. I'd like to hear that.

Your correction "The preacher lights the coals" makes sense. Just to make sure, I listened to a couple of recordings on YouTube. The lead singer (John Phillips?) does garble that line a bit, so I'm not surprised a lot of people got it wrong, but the response is clearer. In short, I think you're right—except I'm not sure whether it's "coal" or "coals".

I searched with Google, too, and I see a lot of people have had trouble with that line. Besides "the preacher likes the cold" I also found "the preacher likes it cold," "the preacher loves the cold," "the preacher is like a god," and "the preacher locked the door"!

Here's another correction: It's "I've been for a walk", not "I went for a walk."

The above transcription is wrong on several details, such as when the responses are sung. I suspect it was transcribed from a different recording than the one that was a hit for the Mamas & Papas. I think you can trust the following version, which I diligently compared to the recording:


CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'
John Phillips, Michelle Phillips

All the leaves are brown (all the leaves are brown)
And the sky is gray (and the sky is gray)
I've been for a walk (I've been for a walk)
On a winter's day (on a winter's day)
I'd be safe and warm (I'd be safe and warm)
If I was in L.A. (if I was in L.A.)
California dreamin' (California dreamin')
On such a winter's day.

Stopped into a church
I passed along the way
Well, I got down on my knees (got down on my knees)
And I pretend to pray (I pretend to pray)
You know, the preacher lights the coals (preacher lights the coals)
He knows I'm gonna stay (knows I'm gonna stay)
California dreamin' (California dreamin')
On such a winter's day.

[Instrumental break with flute]

All the leaves are brown (all the leaves are brown)
And the sky is gray (and the sky is gray)
I've been for a walk (I've been for a walk)
On a winter's day (on a winter's day)
If I didn't tell her (if I didn't tell her)
I could leave today (I could leave today)
California dreamin' (California dreamin')
On such a winter's day (California dreamin')
On such a winter's day (California dreamin')
On such a winter's day.