California Dreamin'
José Feliciano Lyrics
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And the sky is gray (And the sky is gray)
I've been for a walk (I've been for a walk)
On a winter's day (On a winter's day)
I'd be safe and warm (I'd be safe and warm)
If I was in L.A. (If I was in L.A.)
California dreaming
On such a winter's day
Stopped into a church
I passed along the way
Well, I got down on my knees
(Got down on my knees)
And I pretend'd to pray
(I pretend'd to pray)
You know the preacher likes the cold
(Preacher likes the cold)
He knows I'm gonna stay
(Knows I'm gonna stay)
California dreaming
(California dreaming)
On such a winter's day
All the leaves are brown
(All the leaves are brown)
And the sky is gray
(And the sky is gray)
I've been for a walk
(I've been for a walk)
On a winter's day
(On a winter's day)
If I didn't tell her
(If I didn't tell her)
I could leave today
(I could leave today)
California dreaming
(California dreaming)
On such a winter's day
California dreaming
On such a winter's day
California dreaming
On such a winter's day
The song California Dreamin' by José Feliciano is a classic example of the 60s folk rock music popularized by groups like The Mamas and the Papas. The song presents a picture of a cold winter's day with gray skies and brown leaves, a time when one would prefer to be in Los Angeles (L.A.) where it is warm and sunny. The lyrics also suggest a sense of restlessness and longing for something more, perhaps evoking feelings of homesickness or a desire for a change of scene.
The first scene of the song sets the stage for the mood with the words "All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray." It intensifies the mood and emphasizes the feeling of longing, and escape that the singer is struggling with. This feeling is juxtaposed with the idea of being "safe and warm" if he was in Los Angeles, which suggests that the singer is currently in a place where he feels unsafe and cold. The second verse takes the tone a little further with its allusion to religious imagery as the singer visits a church, gets down on his knees, and 'pretend's to pray'.
The chorus of the song, "California dreaming on such a winter's day", is both an observation of the conditions surrounding the main character and a means of escape. It's easy to imagine the singer picturing himself on a beach in California wearing shorts and t-shirts, and this idea of 'California Dreaming' transports him away from his current position to a brighter future.
Line by Line Meaning
All the leaves are brown
The trees are shedding their leaves for autumn.
And the sky is gray
The weather is bleak and overcast.
I've been for a walk
I went outside and took a stroll.
On a winter's day
During the season of cold weather and snow.
I'd be safe and warm
I would feel secure and comfortable.
If I was in L.A.
If I were in Los Angeles, California.
California dreaming
I am thinking about and longing for the experience of being in California.
On such a winter's day
During a cold time of year.
Stopped into a church
I visited a religious building.
I passed along the way
While on my journey.
Well, I got down on my knees
I knelt down in prayer.
And I pretend'd to pray
Although I didn't really pray, I went through the motions.
You know the preacher likes the cold
The religious leader is accustomed to the chilly weather.
He knows I'm gonna stay
The preacher expects me to remain in the area.
If I didn't tell her
If I did not inform her.
I could leave today
I have the option to depart at this moment.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: John Edmund Andrew Phillips, Michelle Gilliam Phillips
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@menebatto
This song, in Feliciano's version, captures alone the essence of the film.
Feliciano played this song by tearing the beat away, exposing the anguish it really expresses.
The protagonist of the song would like to escape from his world for a better place, but while he sings he (or she) himself knows that this will never happen: his dreams will remain unfulfilled.
And just like the protagonist of the song, the dreams of all the characters in the film, in reality, will also be shattered.
The title "once upon a time ..." says it all: this is represented as a beautiful story of friendship and redemption, but it is a fairy tale, the desire for something better that will never happen. A dream.
Sharon Tate, her baby, her dreams and her friends won't get through the night.
Their killers will end up killed or locked up for the rest of their life in prison.
Rick, or whoever he represents, will never meet Polanski and his career will end in oblivion, and Cliff will follow him. Maybe only friendship can survive this. Maybe.
@veggaa
All the leaves are brown
And the sky is gray
I went for a walk
On a winter's day
I'd be safe and warm
If I was in L.A
Oh, California Dreamin'
On such a winter's day, hey
I went into a church
I stopped along the way
Well, I got down on my, on my, on my bended knees
And I began to pray
You know the preacher did succumb
He knows I'm going to stay
Yes he knows cause I told him so
Oh, California dreamin'
On such a winter's day, yeah
Well baby, all the leaves, the leaves, the leaves are brown
And the sky is gray
Oh, I went for a walk
On a winter's day
I, I, I'd be safe and warm
If I was, mira, if I was in L.A
Mmm, yeah, California dreamin'
On such a winter's day, yeah
On such a winter's day, yeah
On such a winter's day, eh-hey
Dream on, California dreamin', dream on
Oye mira yo quiero gozar en California
Porque yo me siento tambien
Y por eso yo te quiero porque tu me tratas tambien en California
Mira, no sienta mal a nena no me tratas asi
Y yo me quiero morir muchachita
Por favor, por favor, nada mas
Oye no me digas que no porque yo
Oye mulatta mira, baby, eh California dreamin'
It doesn't matter how you say it
All I want to say is I love, I love
California, baby yeah
I really love, I really love, I really need a little bit of lovin yeah
California dreamin' oh yeah, Calfornia dreamin'
California dreamin'...
@nayl2686
Embarrassed to not have known this version before I watched once up on a time in Hollywood.. not stopped listening to it since. Fell in love there and then.
@milliecevallos7756
I even like it more than the mamas and the papa's
@wardgeys4175
same here, i got goosebumps when i heard this version in the movie..damn it i love this version so much more
@AB-ce5fg
me too
@jayham____fromgeorgia
Same here.. I did know the version of ' you keep me hangin' on ' by vanilla fudge.. The whole soundtrack is pretty great.. Thank you Jose, for the brilliant interpretation of this song.. And Quinton also..
@ronmcnamara403
NANCY, I HAVE KNOWN THIS VERSION FOR MANY YEARS...............THE ORIGINAL WAS SO BEAUTIFUL, BUT THIS JUST TAKES IT ELSEWHERE! TARANTINO IS A LEGEND AND SELECTING THIS TO PUT ON THE SOUNDTRACK OF ONE OF THE GREATEST FILMS EVER MADE, WAS A STROKE OF GENIUS! HE HAS VERY GOOD TASTE.............AND SO DO WE! X
@mikekohary1075
I adore the Mamas and Papas version of course (those vocal harmonies), but this version just hits me right in the feels. Not ashamed to say it.
@jamescoleakaericunderwood2503
This is my first time...
I'm half Mexican and grew up listening to Feliciano...I never ran across this till just now!
Awesome! He digs deep here!
@bananacake9289
@@jamescoleakaericunderwood2503
Yep James!! Jose is brilliant 😮!!!
Hope you’ve checked out his OTHER wonderful
songs???? 🎉 utterly talented + sometimes
underrated IMO!!! Hi 🙋♀️🙋♀️ from Uk 🇬🇧 ❤
@jamescoleakaericunderwood2503
@@bananacake9289 🙋 from California USA ✌️❤️🇺🇸