mike grutka: Listen

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California has now appeared on all 3 of my albums. The first version is very acousticy. then i played with a band for 2 years and it really changed the way the song came across. on 'reach' i put a solo acoustic version as a hidden track at the end.

this has always been everyone's favorite up to this point and i have gotten many requests to re record it. i hesitated for a long time. i tried to make this like the band version. also, i feel this is one of the top 5 strongest songs before the new CD and that the other songs now are at least this good if not better, so this is a good home for this song.

my mom sang this song with me at my first CD release party.

stopped into a roadside restaurant
trying to get a call through to you
i had to tell you where i was going
had to tell you what i'm gonna do

i finally made my mind up now
i'm gonna go yeah i'm leaving

time goes by much too fast it seems
try so hard not to fall behind
get caught up in their expectations
never get a chance to make up your mind

i finally made my mind up now
i'm gonna go yeah i'm leaving

i'm goin to california

and all the time i'm with you i am happy
i've got to tell you now so you will know
i love you so i hate to think of leaving
i hope that you'll be with me when i go

dotted lines moving quickly by me now
all the miles i've left behind
all my fears falling finally by me
the road ahead all that fills my mind
and time
they say that time can heal all wounds
yeah only time can stop the bleeding
but does time ever have a chance to douse a fire you keep on feeding

i'm goin to california