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Redondo Beach Lyrics
Late afternoon, dreaming hotel
We just had the quarrel that sent you away
I was looking for you, are you gone, gone?
Called you on the phone, another dimension
Well, you never returned, oh you know what I mean
I went looking for you, are you gone, gone?
Down by the ocean, it was so dismal
Women all standing with shock on their faces
Sad description, oh I was looking for you
Everyone was singing, girl is washed up
On Redondo beach and everyone is so sad
I was looking for you, are you gone, gone?
Pretty little girl, everyone cried
She was the victim of sweet suicide
I went looking for you, are you gone, gone?
Down by the ocean it was so dismal
Women all standing with shock on their faces
Sad description, oh I was just looking for you
Desk clerk told me girl was washed up
Was small, an angel with apple blonde hair, now
I went looking for you, are you gone, gone?
Picked up my key, didn't reply
Went to my room, started to cry
You were small, an angel, are you gone, gone?
Down by the ocean it was so dismal
I was just standing with shock on my face
The Hearse pulled away and the girl that had died, it was you
You'll never return into my arms 'cause you were gone, gone
Never return into my arms 'cause you were gone, gone
Gone, gone
Gone, gone
Goodbye
We just had the quarrel that sent you away
I was looking for you, are you gone, gone?
Well, you never returned, oh you know what I mean
I went looking for you, are you gone, gone?
Women all standing with shock on their faces
Sad description, oh I was looking for you
On Redondo beach and everyone is so sad
I was looking for you, are you gone, gone?
She was the victim of sweet suicide
I went looking for you, are you gone, gone?
Women all standing with shock on their faces
Sad description, oh I was just looking for you
Was small, an angel with apple blonde hair, now
I went looking for you, are you gone, gone?
Went to my room, started to cry
You were small, an angel, are you gone, gone?
I was just standing with shock on my face
The Hearse pulled away and the girl that had died, it was you
Never return into my arms 'cause you were gone, gone
Gone, gone
Gone, gone
Goodbye
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It's a common misconception that this song is about a lesbian couple -- I even thought so for a time!
In Patti Smith Complete, Ms. Smith says that she wrote this song in 1971 after a "rare" argument with her sister Linda. Linda left after the argument. Patti describes what she herself did: "Worried... I took an F Train to Coney Island and sat on the beach until the sun rose. I came back, wrote the draft and fell asleep. When I awoke, she had returned. I showed her what I had written and we never quarreled again."
What a beautiful counterpoint! One, a song of regret, of lost opportunity, pain, guilt, remorse. The other, of forgiveness, reconciliation, an embrace full of future possibilities to be cherished...
-Pie
Patti Smith is popular among the lesbian community but this song is not about a lesbian couple. I have several books on Patti Smith and in one she says this song is about a fight she had with her sister. After the fight she dreamt that her sister died and this is where she got the inspiration for this song.
This song is about a fight that a lesbian couple had (Redondo Beach, CA, is a popular lesbian community) and then one of them committed suicide.
This great and morrissey does a great cover of it
This is great and morrissey does a great cover of it
oops
Fantastic song. Morrissey does, indeed, do a good cover. I think I like Patti Smith's better, though.
nope. she's married to a dude.
was married, to the late Fred "Sonic" Smith of the MC5. She stopped recording for almost a decade to help raise their children.
was married, to the late Fred "Sonic" Smith of the MC5. She stopped recording for almost a decade to help raise their children.
sorry, i'm from manhattan beach/ redondo beach. its in a republican part of LA. and trust me, its anything but a lesbian community. so debunk that theory.
You might want to do a current websearch 'cause it appears to have a thriving gay community within the entire community.....strips; bars; gyms; coffee houses; etc.
You might want to do a current websearch 'cause it appears to have a thriving gay community within the entire community.....strips; bars; gyms; coffee houses; etc.
What a beautiful song, just discovering this album now. Fuckin' slick joint.