Son of California

By Jim Cardwell

It's good to live out West in California

Far from killer hail and hurricanes

Never was a safer land discovered

But drivers go plum crazy when it rains

I was born and raised here in California

I could live 'bout anywhere I'd chose

Soft winds soothe the valleys in the Summer

Happy cows make happy buckaroos

And I'm proud to be a son of California

A melting pot not matched in many lands

Where steak and quiche are served with homemade salsa

and folks and cows all wear designer brands

Grass is tall come March in California

Rain can come a-plenty overnight

Flooding hardly hits us in the Springtime

when Oroville Dam is holding tight

Earthquakes don't concern us Californians

Though we see some bigger shakes than most

Tremors are a cheap form of amusement

Still I wouldn't live out on the coast

And I'm proud to be a son of California

A melting pot not matched in any land

Where fish and figs are served with guacamole

And life just ain’t the way your mother planned

Politicians love us Californians

Money of our kind is hard to pass

Movie stars can learn a new profession

When they finish Arnold's acting class

It cost a lot to live in California

and I'm a man of fairly modest means

Still my cookbook's selling well at Borders

"Fifty Ways To Feed A Cowboy Beans"

And I'm proud to be a son of California

A melting pot not matched in any land

Where shrimp and beans are served with chicarrones

And strangers for a price will lend a hand

Where beef and quiche are served with homemade salsa

And anyone can join a county band