Way high under the western sky
Way high where mercury rockets fly
She said, let’s go west, Edward
I want to live with the movie stars
Hob-nob in Hollywood
Big houses and shiny cars
Corn belt to California
To supersonic western skies
Motels and marinas
Summer 1959
But he didn’t want to go
He just could not tell her no
That he did not really want to go
So far away
But she always got her way
Just like a movie star
Grown children like planets
Orbiting their matriarch
In their two-tone touring car
Frances dreams she’s a movie star
In their two-tone touring car
Frances thinks she’s a movie star
In that old green car, she’s far away
Afternoon ocean air rustles the palm trees
Sun slanting through the venetian blinds
Mullen Avenue in Inglewood
Cool white arches of stucco
It’s my grandma’s house summer 1965
Way high under the western sky
Way high under blue supersonic skies
Neon parabolas and flickering golden marquees
Beacons to dreamers, the architecture of fantasy
Frances never found Hollywood
Except on the silver screen
She’s afraid of color now, stays home with her old TV
Grandma never found her Hollywood
That tarnished pot of gold
Grandpa died to just get away
Grandma stayed and slowly just got old
With mom and Bubby in my daddy’s car
Packed it up and we’re going far
Navigating by different stars
Northbound to where the tall trees are
With mom and Bubby in my daddy’s car
We’re going far away
credits
from Odd Birds,
released August 1, 2003
TR Kelley - baritone guitar, bass, vocals
Randy Hamme - drums
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