“Born in East LA” by Cheech Marin
All I Wanna Do, Sheryl Crow (a personal favorite).
Lullaby, Shawn Mullins
So Long San Francisco, Glen Yarbrough
Pico crosses a lot of streets, including Sepulveda. I drive through Pico & Sepulveda every day.
However, there’s not anything interesting at Pico & Sepulveda. I don’t think there’s ever been anything interesting there.
I Remember California by R.E.M.
Sweet Home San Diego by Sprung Monkey
and …
Route 66, by Bobby Troup (and many others) spends some of its time in California.
Valley Girl by Frank and Moon Unit Zappa
I’d like to go with the Big Valley theme song, but there aren’t any words. I don’t know if it even has a title.
Tom Lehrer’s Hannukah in Santa Monica
Creeque Alley: …“And California Dreamin’ is becoming a reality” (as well as “McGuinn and McGuire just are catchin’ fire, in L.A. you know where that’s at.”)
Streets of Bakersfield: Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens
Kern River: Merle Haggard
I meant it because the guys last name was Figueroa.
Wang Chung - To Live and Die in L.A.
The only place by Best Coast
Do You Know the Way to San Jose?
I Left My Heart in San Francisco
(The Streets of) Bakersfield (Buck Owens)
The Little Old Lady from Pasadena
Surfin’ USA and other surfing-era songs are replete with California-specific references
(My Darling) Clementine
Exquisitely Bored – Pete Townshend
*I take a drive up to L.A.
In my gas guzzling limousine
There’s a whole lot of crazy people up there
Living out a life in sweet ennui
Exquisitely bored in California
We take our trouble to the crest
Exquisitely bored in California
Exquisitely bored, Just like all the rest*
From Counting Crows, there’s A Long December and Come Around.
Midnight Train to Georgia, Gladys Knight (“L.A. proved to be too much for the man. . .”)
Please Come to Boston, Dave Loggins
This Land Is Your Land, Woody Guthrie
Oh My Darling Clementine, Percy Montrose (mentions 49ers: hey, you said obscure)
Oh! Susanna, Stephen Foster (I’m bound for California with my banjo on my knee)
My favorite cover:
California by Debby Boone.
Tom Petty’s Free Fallin’ and Into the Great Wide Open both take place in and around LA.
And there’s Bob Seger’s Hollywood Nights
Neil Diamond - “I am, I said” Neil Diamond "I Am... I Said" - YouTube