I think the song is called “Gold”, but I don’t know who sung it or if that’s the correct title. The first verse goes like this:
“When the lights go down, in a California town,
people are in for the evening.
I jump into my car and throw in my guitar,
My heart beats in time with my breathing.”
The last line of the chorus is “there’s people out there turning music into gold.”
Is Gold the correct title? And does anyone know who sang it?
John Stewart had been a member of the Kingston Trio, and had not had much of a career after having left.
He did have a song called “Armstrong,” about the moon landing that I think he performed on the old Smothers Brothers program, but that’s about it.
The title “Bombs Away Dream Babies,” and the song “Gold,” are reflective of his frustration with not making any money. “Bombs Away” was his way of saying, “OK, this is it.” And the song “Gold” seems to say, “Other people are making money–why can’t I?”
I never understood what he meant by “Climbing old potatoes, singing to my soul, there’s people out there turning music into gold.”