Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

I always thought that "Sandy, and Johnny, or Mary" was a reference to Bruce Springsteen as the names all feature a lot in his songs. Just me?

A few corrections...

I haven't seen Sandy, Angry Johnny or Mary.

For Fairview and Acres

Or get out past the breakers

And not while Little Eden is waiting

Brothers and sisters know anytime or late at night

Can i get a witness pretty baby

There's a party tonight, say it's alright

So you sing me a slow song darlin'

I think that's it.

And it's a song about getting older, but not growing up.

The opening riff for the song is sheer porn.

I'm pretty sure the line " but not me Pretty baby" is a reference to Yer So Bad by Tom Petty, it would make sense considering that Brian drops his name in the song.

It's "little Eden." It's a reference to 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) off of Springsteen's Wild, Innocent, and E Street Shuffle: "Sandy, the fireworks are hailing over little Eden tonight."

I agree that it's about getting older but not growing up. I think the title tells us that there's some disillusionment there, though. The 4th of July reference is telling. The speaker in that song is liberated by maturing. "For me this boardwalk life is through, baby; you ought to quit this scene too." Here, our speaker boldly asserts that little Eden is waiting: there's plenty of time for all that simple, grown-up stuff with suburban houses and country clubs. Now's the time to play all night and tease men she doesn't desire. But is that fulfilling? Is she buying her own sales pitch? Or is this cowgirl just telling herself what she needs to hear when she starts to feel blue?

This is a great song. I think it's about how like people mature at different rates. Like some people are 30 and still want to hang out, have fun, have another beer, go surfing, stay up all night, and some people get to a point where they're like "I want a warm glass of milk and to see who's on Letterman." And I think it's the one saying to the other "Come on, what happened? Why aren't we out doing shots, what happened to the good old days?" Yeah, Little Eden, when they built Asbury Park, they wanted it to be this paradise on the shore, and it got that nickname. Every GLA song is so packed with allussions you never get tired of finding them and having that "ahh that's what he meant," feeling.

i always thought it was "little eden" not "little lita." am i an idiot?

nah i think you're right readingkerouac, it's "little eden." the gaslight make references to "little eden" in other songs as well.

i feel like this song is about how all the singers friends have moved on with their lives and abandoned their childhood and he is still holding on to all the things he loved when he was younger (tom petty songs and driving old men crazy) and he is trying to convince a female friend to enjoy it with him for a while. something like that...

"Can it get up with us pretty ba-a-aby! I still love Tom Petty songs And all while little lita is waiting"

I think the first line is: "Can I get a witness pretty baby, I still love Tom Petty songs And all while little Eden is waiting"

I'm pretty sure that's it.