Ooze on, L.A. River, ooze on

I picked up Keith & Rusty McNeil's California Songbook last summer while in Columbia.



The songs all relate in some way to California history and I like that they give a brief bit of historical context along with each song.

One of the selling points was this song at the back called L.A. River. Keith and Rusty write that the original author is anonymous, but that the song was taught to them in the 1960s by Clabe Hangan.

Lyrics to L.A. River:

There’s a river, a windin’ river, flowin’ through our town.
And it’s not so very mighty, but it sure does get around,
How I long to sit and cool my feet on its sterile banks of gray concrete,
Ooze on, L.A. River, ooze on.
Well it’s not so very mighty, and it’s not so deep and wide,
But its current has a longing to stay at low, low tide,
And I thank the Lord that it’s not blood red, but a peaceful, cool, green
algae instead, Ooze on, L.A. River, ooze on.

Now when the thunder sounds like fury and the rain begins to fall,
I dream that the mighty crashing is that river’s fearless roar,
But the sound I hear is not a dream, it’s a motorcycle goin` upstream,
Ooze on, L.A. River, ooze on.
Well it hasn’t any whitecaps, and it hasn’t any iish,
To see it splash and ripple, it would be my fondest wish,
But it floats its load of sad debris from the mighty sewer to the mighty sea,
Ooze on, L.A. River, ooze on.
Ooze on, L.A. River, ooze on.




- Posted at great expense from my iPhone