Luna Shadows is a multi‐instrumentalist and singer/writer/producer running … Read Full Bio ↴Luna Shadows is a multi‐instrumentalist and singer/writer/producer running her own show in the Los Angeles, California, United States since 2016. As the star of said show, she’s typically responsible for the writing, performing, recording, producing, engineering and editing of her music, although she’s recently brought in a couple of mainstream indie pop co‐producers, Brad and Thom of the respective bands Now Now and The Naked and Famous, to help shoulder the load.

Even the brightest, most upbeat Luna Shadows song carries a hint of romantic melancholy. She describes her artistic ambitions as a lifelong dare that, “sounded pretty fun” and brought order to the emotional chaos of everyday life. The end product, made in garages and bedrooms under the palm trees of Echo Park, sounds a bit like Ellie Goulding took Lana del Rey to the beach.

Hallelujah California
Luna Shadows Lyrics

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They say: sit in the sun enough,
Your hair's gonna lighten up"
It's true

I drove to silverlake and parked my car
Ran around the reservoir
Found proof

Now everyday is summertime
Los Angeles if you'll be mine
Then I'll stay lonely only for you

Meet me on the east side
We can taste the sweet life
Silver screens
Take it to the west side
Breaking in the best high
Vitamin D til we bleed
My daddy always warned that the saddest songs are major keys
Hallelujah California
California

So, come kick it down on Saturn's rings
Observatory empty wings with me
Then we'll roll to origami record night
Talk about our vinyl lives
Emily lends a beat for all the cherry cola pin up queens,
Boulevard of broken dreams
It's fucked up as seen on TV

Meet me on the east side
We can taste the sweet life
Silver screens
Take it to the west side
Breaking in the best high
Vitamin D til we bleed
My daddy always warned that the saddest songs are major keys
Hallelujah California
California

Meet me on the east side
We can taste the sweet life
Silver screens
Take it to the west side
Breaking in the best high
Vitamin D til we bleed
My daddy always warned that the saddest songs are major keys

Hallelujah California
California

Overall Meaning

The song "Hallelujah California" by Luna Shadows is an upbeat, dreamy tribute to the state of California. The opening line "They say: sit in the sun enough, your hair's gonna lighten up" sets the tone for the rest of the song, which is celebratory and optimistic. The singer drives to Silverlake and runs around the reservoir, finding proof that the sun really does lighten up hair. She then declares that everyday feels like summertime in Los Angeles, and that she'll stay lonely for the city.

The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Meet me on the east side, we can taste the sweet life, silver screens, take it to the west side, breaking in the best high, vitamin D till we bleed". This is a call to action, urging listeners to come to the city and experience its offerings, from the glamour of silver screens to the health benefits of vitamin D. The song also touches on the sadness that can come from living in a major city, with the lyric "My daddy always warned that the saddest songs are major keys". In spite of this, the overall tone of the song is one of excitement and possibility.

Line by Line Meaning

They say: sit in the sun enough, Your hair's gonna lighten up" It's true
It is believed that sitting in the sun will lighten your hair and this has been proven to be true.

I drove to silverlake and parked my car Ran around the reservoir Found proof
The artist drove to Silverlake, parked her car, ran around the reservoir, and found evidence to support the belief about the sun's ability to lighten hair.

Now everyday is summertime Los Angeles if you'll be mine Then I'll stay lonely only for you
Every day feels like summer and the artist is willing to stay alone as long as she has Los Angeles.

Meet me on the east side We can taste the sweet life Silver screens Take it to the west side Breaking in the best high Vitamin D til we bleed
Let's meet on the east side of LA where we can enjoy the luxurious lifestyle depicted in movies and then go to the west side to experience the best high from the sun's Vitamin D.

My daddy always warned that the saddest songs are major keys Hallelujah California California
The artist's father warned her that songs in major keys can sometimes be the saddest and this song, despite being about California, is still in a sad major key.

So, come kick it down on Saturn's rings Observatory empty wings with me Then we'll roll to origami record night Talk about our vinyl lives Emily lends a beat for all the cherry cola pin up queens, Boulevard of broken dreams It's fucked up as seen on TV
Let's hang out at Saturn's rings, explore the observatory's empty wings, listen to music, and have conversations about our lives. The artist Emily will provide a beat and this experience reminds the artist of the cherry cola pin-up girls in the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, which is often portrayed as tragic on TV.

Meet me on the east side We can taste the sweet life Silver screens Take it to the west side Breaking in the best high Vitamin D til we bleed
The artist repeats her invitation to meet her on the east side to experience the sweet life and then go to the west side to enjoy the sun and its benefits.

My daddy always warned that the saddest songs are major keys Hallelujah California California
Once again, the artist reminds the listeners of her father's warning about major keys while she continues to sing about California and her love for it.

Contributed by Cole K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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