California Man (Single) - Sinful Lilly (Digital Download)

Sinful Lilly's California Man is a punchy, catchy, forward-thinking blend of hard rock and power pop that explores the Manson Family in 1969, right at the unraveling end of the Peace and Love movement.

The song came about after a motorcycle trip to Death Valley, when the songwriter came across an abandoned shack and started thinking about the Manson Family, who lived in the area in the late '60s. It's a thought-provoking reflection on how easy it can be to get mixed up with the wrong type of people and make terrible decisions with lasting consequences. When we hear such stories, we often think we'd keep our wits about us — but are we all so sure of that?

Musically, the swagger recalls some of the best Rolling Stones releases, but with a focus and punch that takes it up a notch. The guitar work is stunning, opting for a jangly yet overdriven, creamy sound, with big open chords and a rhythm section that's just as driving. The lead vocals bring real character to the mix, and the bridge at around 2:57 is a perfect change of pace — letting the song breathe before it opens back up with even more power.

• Artist: Sinful Lilly
• Genre: Hard Rock / Power Pop
• Label: Jettlane Records
• Recommended for fans of: Alice Cooper, KISS, New York Dolls, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, and Wednesday 13
• Available in MP3 and WAV formats

LYRICS:

Look here I'll explain something to you
Nineteen sixty-nine
Rollin' through the desert with love on my mind
Take and take well the world is mine
California I'm coming and I'm feelin' fine
Yeah I'm feelin' fine

I was rollin' palm trees all around
Devil in sight two wheels are down
Take and take it's alright
California I'm comin' and I'm feelin' fine
Feelin' fine

Nineteen sixty-nine peace and love and I'm feelin' fine
Nineteen sixty-nine peace and love and I'm a little high
Little high

Death Valley family's around
Everybody's groovy and we're gettin' down
Take the shake we're all high
California it's comin' and you won't be fine

Nineteen sixty-nine peace and love and I'm feelin' fine
Nineteen sixty-nine peace and love and I'm a little high
Nineteen sixty-nine Charlie's high and so am I
Nineteen sixty-nine they go crusin' on Waverly drive
Hey hey Nineteen sixty-nine
I didn't tell anybody to do nothin'
I said do what you wanna do

Have you ever taken a trip
Into the wild of the unknown
and feel the world come crashin' down
Down down down
And the things you see
The beautiful colors
And they tell you
The things you're supposed to believe
And they tell you
They tell you
They tear your world
They tell you death
They tell you pestilence
They tell you've warned me
They won't lead me
You won't break me
It's all mine
Yeah
It's all mine
Yeah

Nineteen run run
And we were runnin' run run
Ooh sixty-nine run run
I gotta get away
Nineteen run run
And we were runnin'
Run
Was it a bad trip
Was it a hell on earth
They got your pigs on the wall
Got your pigs on the wall
Got your face in the dirt