Who's the girl inside of the blue screen light?
The sun is just pouring out
And everything is out of sight

Turn around the room is just black and white
She's whispering, "Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, na, na, na"

And it's not true
And it's not fair
And it's not you
And it's not California here

Later on you're breaking the boxes down
There's nobody out tonight
Nobody's hanging 'round

So you take the drive that used to be almost right
And now it's just empty lots around you
All these empty lots around you

And they don't know
What you hold dear
And they can't see
That it's not California here

Come a time when I may just walk away
The sun is just barely out
The sky is completely gray

But you're the one I wanna be with today
Let them say, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, na, na, na

And I'm not strong
And you're not rich
And we're not lost
Where we don't live

And it's not true
And it's not fair
And they're not us
And it's not California here

I'm the one who wants to be with you tonight
And I'm the one who wants to be the one you're with tonight
And I'm the one who wants to be the one you're with tonight
And I'm the one who wants to be the one you're with tonight



Lyrics submitted by ArrestedDevelopment

Not California Lyrics as written by Gary L. Maurer Daniel R. Messe

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Not California song meanings
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    I\'ve been listening to this song a lot the last few weeks. This morning Joni Mitchell\'s A Case of You came on Apple Music and I recognized the almost repeated line of "blue TV screen light" in A Case of You and "blue screen light" in this song. It clicked that both songs use the metaphor of missing home to speak about missing a lover (and the reverse) and that this must be a hat tip to Mitchell. Love it. And both songs. <3

    Jennyjen38on April 15, 2022   Link

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