Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Sitting in a park in Paris, France
Reading the news and it sure looks bad
They won't give peace a chance
That was just a dream some of us had
Still a lot of lands to see
But I wouldn't wanna stay here
It's too old and cold and settled in its ways here
Oh, but California
California, I'm coming home
I'm going to see the folks I dig
I'll even kiss a Sunset pig
California, I'm coming home
I met a redneck on a Grecian isle
Who did the goat dance very well
He gave me back my smile
But he kept my camera to sell
Oh the rogue, the red, red rogue
He cooked good omelets and stews
And I might have stayed on with him there
But my heart cried out for you, California
Oh, California, I'm coming home
Oh, make me feel good, rock 'n' roll band
I'm your biggest fan
California, I'm coming home
Oh, it gets so lonely
When you're walking
And the streets are full of strangers
All the news of home you read
Just give you the blues
Just give you the blues
So I bought me a ticket
I caught a plane to Spain
Went to a party down a red dirt road
There were lots of pretty people there
Reading Rolling Stone, reading Vogue
They said, "How long can you hang around?"
I said, "A week, maybe two
Just until my skin turns brown
Then I'm going home to California"
California, I'm coming home
Oh, will you take me as I am
Strung out on another man
California, I'm coming home
Oh, it gets so lonely
When you're walking
And the streets are full of strangers
All the news of home you read
More about the war
And the bloody changes
Oh, will you take me as I am?
Will you take me as I am?
Will you?
Will you take me as I am?
Take me as I am
Reading the news and it sure looks bad
They won't give peace a chance
That was just a dream some of us had
Still a lot of lands to see
But I wouldn't wanna stay here
It's too old and cold and settled in its ways here
Oh, but California
California, I'm coming home
I'm going to see the folks I dig
I'll even kiss a Sunset pig
California, I'm coming home
I met a redneck on a Grecian isle
Who did the goat dance very well
He gave me back my smile
But he kept my camera to sell
Oh the rogue, the red, red rogue
He cooked good omelets and stews
And I might have stayed on with him there
But my heart cried out for you, California
Oh, California, I'm coming home
Oh, make me feel good, rock 'n' roll band
I'm your biggest fan
California, I'm coming home
Oh, it gets so lonely
When you're walking
And the streets are full of strangers
All the news of home you read
Just give you the blues
Just give you the blues
So I bought me a ticket
I caught a plane to Spain
Went to a party down a red dirt road
There were lots of pretty people there
Reading Rolling Stone, reading Vogue
They said, "How long can you hang around?"
I said, "A week, maybe two
Just until my skin turns brown
Then I'm going home to California"
California, I'm coming home
Oh, will you take me as I am
Strung out on another man
California, I'm coming home
Oh, it gets so lonely
When you're walking
And the streets are full of strangers
All the news of home you read
More about the war
And the bloody changes
Oh, will you take me as I am?
Will you take me as I am?
Will you?
Will you take me as I am?
Take me as I am
Lyrics submitted by wingedsorceress, edited by folmsbee
California Lyrics as written by Joni Mitchell
Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
This song doesn't necessarily have to be about California... "I'm going to go see the folks I dig "--It's more about coming home to a place you love and where people love you after travelling on "streets full of strangers". I love those high notes and the sweet melody of this song.
wow, i just listened to this song for the first time after reading this, and it brought tears to my eyes. lol i am so emotional
I love the reference to this song in Led Zeppelin's "Going to California."
I take this class where we bring in songs and discuss them and one kid brought in "Going to California" and I made the connection. It makes me happy that others do too. They reference Joni Mitchell in Going to California (we can assume) but in Joni Mitchell's Woodstock she makes a reference to possibly Led Zeppelin "Going on down to Yasgur's farm, gonna join a rock n roll band." Anyways, I just thought that it was interesting. I am just a little bit obsessed with Joni Mitchell so..
I was on a Navy ship off the coast of Vietman in 1972. When we finally got orders to return to the U.S., we would play this song over the P.A. speakers when we finished up with supplying another ship.
Love that story. This had been one of my all time favourite albums since the 70s
Love this song!
I think it can be interpreted as missing California and wanting to come home... but also.
I think its about her love life-She met a Red Neck in Grecian isle... its a beautiful island of paradise, he did the goat dance (which is a dance they do i forget what island to predict the weather, something like that). He makes her Omelette's, but she misses her "California" another man.
Explains -"Will you take me as I am Strung out on another man", -drug reference :) shes exhausted her last relationship & is coming home to "California" Wants him to take her as she is.
"Still a lot of lands to see But I wouldn't want to stay here It's old and cold and settled in it's ways here"
Hes old, she has her eyes set on another & doesn't want to get to know what else the land has to show.
I like the Sunshine Pig interpretation where she kisses the pig, because I have always seen Joni as a sly songstress who is witty & i think shes being kinda humours when she says she will kiss a pig.
Who do I think California represents, HMM
David Crosby, was one of my guesses, she lived with him in California. They had a strong friendship he made sure the record label didn't make her go rock folk & gave her independence to do an acoustic folk record.
He was in a lil rock group called Crosby Stills Nash... He was her biggest fan "Oh make me feel good, rock and roll band I'm your biggest fan"
The next idea, was Nash If you listen to his songs about Joni it sounds like they had a relationship... He was also in the same band as Crosby. Jus the ideas I got from listening.
hi i agree there. i think she's saying that the red neck on the grecian isle was good at making the monster (goat dance) with two backs, but her heart cried out for California. Plus I think that paris was the real test, in california (imo even if it wasn't real at least) they believed in peace. so it's both a metaphor for a man she loves, but also a real longing for california. not sure if the man she remains "strung out on" is Europe or she went to Europe to escape him?
well this song is sort of obvious. i hate to be one of those people that just says how good a song is, but i realized that this song is so amazing because it could still apply today.
One of my favorite songs. Never been to California, so that probably helps. It makes California sound like the best place to be, and it probably isnt.
this song automatically makes me think of summer- makes sense- but i mean- it's just so good and it applies to everyone and anyone i find. just love it. i'm surprised more people haven't commented on this song or even joni in general
recently bought the cd blue and cant stop liseneing to this song. its about returning to a place where you feel excepted and at home and god i love this song
I agree with Electrophile, but I think this song is a lot better than Zeppelin's Going to California - feel free to disagree!
Did Joni Mitchell actually come from California? Cos I almost think that she's making fun of the things that are typical to California, e.g.
The way they talk - "Gonna see the folks I dig"
The Musical background - "...feel good Rock and Roll band" - Beach Boys?
The added instrument in the section that begins - "Oh it gets so lonely" - some kinda keyboard?
Just some thoughts :) But in all, a beautiful song, the first time I heard it I wanted to live in California too!