California Earthquake (Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On)

Lyrics: Rodney Crowell
Music: Rodney Crowell

There was a California earthquake, in the year of '83
It shook the living daylights out of the Owens County Seat
Not a building still left standing when the dust had cleared away
Just a rumble in the distance all the way to San Andrea

Oh Sherman Buck was driving his old mule into town
When a big one came and shook so hard, that it knocked him to the ground
Lord there opened up a hole so big, he thought his time was up
And it swallowed up that poor old mule and it just missed Sherman Buck

Chorus
California earthquake you just don't know what you've done
We may fall off in the ocean, but you'll never make us run
You're a partner to the devil, but we ain't afraid of him
We'll build ourselves another town so you can tear it down again

Then came the quake of '99 that levelled Mission Creek
The earth was like an ocean churning, with waves of twenty feet
Lord it sounded like a thousand trains were screaming underground
Clean across to San Joachim, they heard that mournful sound
[chorus]

Then came one day the holocaust on San Franciso Bay
[Ninety] miles of walls came down like old Jericho that day
Might near everything the earthquake missed, a holy fire consumed
Just left 'em Holy Smoke and Ashes,what's a dream that can't be ruined
[chorus]

Build ourselves another town so you can tear it down again

Recordings:
The Rodney Crowell version was on his LP "Ain't Living Long Like This" [WB BSK-3228] which has never been reissued on CD.
Seldom Scene (with Linda Ronstadt singing harmony vocals) is on "New Seldom Scene Album" [REBEL CD-1561].

rich r