The song is about Los Angeles, specifically the music industry in LA. Chris Hillman came up with the opening line and Gram Parsons helped him finish the song. Much of it is inspired by Chris Hillman reflecting on the bitter end of The Byrds. The Byrds manager Larry Spector had a condo on the 31st floor with a gold door, and Hillman felt that the industry had "swallowed in" his Byrds bandmate Gene Clark. I'm not sure what Robert F. Kennedy has to do with any of this, but apparently he is the "friend" that Parsons refers to in the last verse.
Source: http://articles.latimes.com/2007/apr/22/entertainment/ca-socal22
The song is about Los Angeles, specifically the music industry in LA. Chris Hillman came up with the opening line and Gram Parsons helped him finish the song. Much of it is inspired by Chris Hillman reflecting on the bitter end of The Byrds. The Byrds manager Larry Spector had a condo on the 31st floor with a gold door, and Hillman felt that the industry had "swallowed in" his Byrds bandmate Gene Clark. I'm not sure what Robert F. Kennedy has to do with any of this, but apparently he is the "friend" that Parsons refers to in the last verse. Source: http://articles.latimes.com/2007/apr/22/entertainment/ca-socal22