There is a city by the sea
A gentle company
I don't suppose you want to?

And as it tells its sorry tale
In harrowing detail
Its hollowness will haunt you

Its streets and boulevards
Orphans and oligarchs
And here's a plaintive melody
A truncated symphony.
An ocean's garbled vomit on the shore:
Los Angeles, I'm yours

O ladies, pleasant and demure
Hollow-cheek'd and sure
I can see your undies)
And all the boys you drag about
On empty, fallow fount
From Saturdays to Mondays.

You bridge and tunnel crowd
Hanging your trousers down at heel.
This is the realest thing
As ancient choirs sing
A rushing rabble revels from above
Los Angeles, my love.

O what a rush of ripe elan!
Languor on divans
Dalliant and dainty!

But the smell of burnt cocaine,
The dolor and the drain
It only makes me cranky

O great calamity,
Den of iniquity and tears
How I abhor this place
Its sweet and bitter taste
Has left me wretched, wretching on all fours
Los Angeles, I'm yours


Lyrics submitted by ADimeADexter

Los Angeles, I'm Yours Lyrics as written by Colin Meloy

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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Los Angeles, I'm Yours song meanings
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44 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment

    Lord have mercy, this is one of the reason I don't like the Decemberists new fan-base, some of you understand the song, and props to you guys, but you pseudo-hipsters, are digging irony out of places where it doesn't exist. This song is purely a love song about Los Angeles. If there is one thing you have to catch from Decemberists songs, it's their love for the noire. They appreciate the down-trodden, seemingly evil refuge for the lower-ends of society. Colin is singing about the beautiful disaster the city is, how he sees the most amazing and awe-inspiring decay of the norms of society, yet the root of the society(human interaction) is stronger then any other city in the world. He's saying that Los Angeles doesn't have any of the superficial norms society thinks it has, and instead, has things that mainstream society sees as repulsive, like drugs, hookers, pollution, huge class-divide, etc. Yet, the people are happy to live in their filth, and appreciate all the real things the society has to offer, that other cities, which maybe look for beautiful, and do not have these "social no-nos" ever will. I think Colin wrote this song, and if he did, he is talking about how much he loves Los Angeles, how it brings him to his knees, and how much beauty, most don't realize this wretched society actually has, to those who keep their eyes open.

    OneEyeon October 21, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I was at the Decemberists' show on October 21st at the Wiltern Theatre here in LA, and I have to say that when they started this song, people went CRAZY. My sister and I both live here in Los Angeles and we were right up against the stage going crazy with everyone else. The thing about Los Angeles is that, yes, it's dirty, fake, crowded, hot, and the traffic sucks, but none of us would trade it for the world. And, yes, we both CHOSE to move here, thank you very much... ;^)

    Leslie Ann Levineon December 27, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I'm really hoping this song is exactly how OneEye explained,

    because they seem to take every single stereotype ever stated about los angeles and seemed to squeeze it into one song. As if you can't find hookers, drugs and pollution in any other major city?

    You have to know the city to understand it, and since many don't, they take it for face value or with preconceptions. So while this song's writing is actually really creative, its content is not.

    smackeythefrogon October 15, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Yes! Thank you! I've just recently started listening to The Decemberists, and I was disappointed that this song wasn't added. A week later, here it is. Perfect timing, albeit a bit eerie.

    As for the song, it sounds like it's addressing the things LA is notorious for.

    Slutty girls "Oh ladies, pleasant and demure Sallow-cheeked and sure I can see your undies And all the boys you drag about An empty fellow found From Saturdays to Mondays"

    Drug dealers "But oh, the smell of burnt cocaine "

    As the song progresses, it sounds like he's getting more and more sick of LA. Especially the line "How I abhor this place".

    Note: The opinions expressed in this comment do not necessarily reflect my opinion of, or people from, LA.:-D

    Chronobrainon October 28, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Yeah... just came across how amazing these guys were... and was dissapointed it wasnt on here either so I found it on some other site, Thanx Man. You're Welcome... and I agree with your opinion of what this song means also...

    ADimeADexteron November 01, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I was playing this album (Her Majesty) for a friend of mine and when this song started she said "why does LA have so many songs written about how great it is" and after the first verse she said "oh... nevermind."

    That seems to be most people's reaction to it. I'd love to be at an LA show when they play this song.

    sethbrownon November 10, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think it's 'rush of ripe élan' on the last verse.

    Anyway... this is one of my favorite Decemberists songs. I've always liked art dealing with the love hate relationship with a town, and this song is no exception. I sent this to a friend from LA who has the same sentiment about the place as the song expresses.

    the_polymathon February 10, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I agree with the love/hate theory but I just have to say that I love the line "an ocean's garbled vomit on the shore." Quite beautiful and definately original!

    Bryia_026on February 21, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The last verse is so wonderful :)

    My fav decemberist song

    Noodles15on March 02, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    amazing, i guess when you have a great english and writing background you use it to write the most fucking brilliant songs. the best song by the most creative band. rock on.

    lost_in_twlighton April 07, 2005   Link

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