Out In California
Tom Russell Lyrics
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Sittin' here drinkin' in the last bar on earth...
Out in California she's takin' off her tight red skirt
The mountains out the window - they're a woman lyin' on a bed
The mountains here are shaped like a woman lying naked on a bed
She may be out in California, but I can't get her out of my head
Out in California...
They killed off the Indians, they shot all the grizzly bears
Out in California, they shot all the grizzly bears
She just stands by the window, combing out her long black hair
If a man keeps runnin', he'll run right into himself
It a man keeps movin', he'll run into himself
Out in California she's lyin' down with somebody else
Out in California...
Gonna buy me a Chevy, as soon as my luck turns around
Gonna buy me a shotgun, soon as my luck turns around
Gonna drive on back to that California town
I'm sitting here drinkin' in the last bar on earth
Sittin' here drinkin' in the last bar on earth...
Out in California she's takin' off her tight red skirt
The song "Out In California" by Tom Russell is a story about a man sitting alone in the last bar on earth, drinking and reminiscing about a woman he knew in California. The lyrics describe how she is taking off her tight red skirt while he looks out the window at the mountains, which are shaped like a woman lying naked on a bed. He can't get her out of his head even though he knows she's lying down with somebody else. The song also touches on the history of California and how the Indians and grizzly bears were killed off but the woman still remains, combing her long black hair by the window.
The song paints a vivid picture of longing and nostalgia for a place and a person that is both beautiful and destructive. The man in the bar is torn between the beauty of the natural world in California and the pain of lost love. The song is a meditation on the contradictions of the human experience: we destroy what we love and we long for what we can't have. It is also a commentary on the history of California and how the exploitation of the natural world has had devastating consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm sitting here drinkin' in the last bar on earth
I am sitting in the last remaining bar on earth with a drink in hand
Out in California, she's takin' off her tight red skirt
A woman in California is removing her tight red skirt
The mountains out the window - they're a woman lyin' on a bed
The mountains I see out of the window resemble a woman lying on a bed
She may be out in California, but I can't get her out of my head
Although she is in California, I can't stop thinking about her
They killed off the Indians, they shot all the grizzly bears
The people in California exterminated the Indians and shot all the grizzly bears
She just stands by the window, combing out her long black hair
She is standing near the window, combing her long black hair
If a man keeps runnin', he'll run right into himself
If a man keeps moving and running away, he will eventually encounter himself and his problems
Out in California she's lyin' down with somebody else
The woman I can't stop thinking about is sleeping with someone else in California
Gonna buy me a Chevy, as soon as my luck turns around
When my luck changes, I am going to buy a Chevy car
Gonna drive on back to that California town
I am going to drive back to the town in California
Contributed by Dominic I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.