California, Here I Come
Encyclopedia
"California, Here I Come" is a song written for the 1921 Broadway
musical Bombo
, starring Al Jolson
. The song was written by Buddy DeSylva and Joseph Meyer
, with Jolson often listed as a co-author. Jolson recorded the song in 1924
. It is often called the unofficial state song of California
.
, especially after a resolution passed by the California State Legislature
in 1951 designated "I Love You, California
" as the state song. However, these attempts proved unsuccessful, as "I Love You, California" was officially declared the state song in 1988.
and Milt Franklyn
, musical directors at Warner Bros. Cartoons
. The song often accompanies a character's hasty or spontaneous departure, such as in the 1946 cartoon Hair-Raising Hare
, 1950's Bushy Hare
, and 1955's Rabbitson Crusoe
, as examples.
A well-known rendition of the song appears in episode 110 of the television series I Love Lucy
. The episode, titled "California, Here We Come!", features the four principal cast members beginning a cross-country road trip
from New York City
to California, where Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz
) plans to make a movie. Ricky, who is shown behind the wheel driving across the George Washington Bridge from New York into New Jersey (and westward), begins singing the song's chorus and he is soon joined by Fred (William Frawley
) and Ethel (Vivian Vance
), and then, finally, by a badly off-key but highly spirited Lucy (Lucille Ball
). At one point, Fred sings part of the chorus as a short solo in a manner that is highly suggestive of the syncopated style often associated with Al Jolson, and Ricky joins in briefly with a similar apparent nod to the song's originator. Still images of the famous scene, which have been popularized in posters and greeting card, are often used to typify the I Love Lucy series (all four principal cast members are shown together and facing the camera) and the scene offers a nostalgic view of America's love affair with the automobile in the 1950s.
In the 1934 W. C. Fields
film, It's a Gift
, a record of the song is shown on-screen and the Victrola needle is put down to play it. The recording then plays over the next scene, showing the Bisonette family packing for their trip to the west coast.
The song is played in the classic Sierra game Gold Rush as the ship carrying fortune seekers comes to port in Sacramento.
"Casa Loma Stomp" recorded by Fletcher Henderson
is a set of jazz
variations on the song, whose tune is clearly audible in the first few verses and gradually disappears under the increasing complexity of the variations.
Ray Charles
recorded a cover of this song, which appears in his 1960
album The Genius Hits the Road
.
Dutch rock band The Shocking Blue refers to Jolson's original lyric in their own song, "California Here I Come" on their 1969 album At Home
.
Phantom Planet
credits Al Jolson and the writers of "California, Here I Come" for Phantom Planet's song "California", which was used as the theme song to the television series The O.C.
. The 2002 song, although not a complete cover, alludes to Jolson's song in its lines "California, here we come / Right back where we started from".
The song is used as the theme song for the California historical travelogue series on PBS, California's Gold
, hosted by Huell Howser.
In what is arguably the most ironic
appearance of the song in popular culture, in the 2003 Canadian film, The Saddest Music in the World
, the song is played by the American team in the final round of the competition (against Serbia
), by a multicultural orchestra consisting of violin
s, sitar
, and Romania
n panpipes.
On the final episode of Martin
, the episode titled "California, Here We Come" where Martin and Gina offer for a job in Los Angeles
and saying good-bye to the Motor City
on May 1, 1997.
On November 9, Huell Howser released a music video of his performance of "California, Here I Come" on KCET.
USS Yorktown (CV-5)
as the ship steamed from Pearl Harbor to participate in the Battle of Midway
. The song may have been intended as a deception, as the severely outnumbered American forces depended on surprise to gain an advantage in the battle. Japanese agents seeing the Yorktown departing would hopefully conclude that it was steaming for the mainland rather than to Midway.
Richard Nixon
, in a set of instructions he left in case he were to die in office, directed that "California, Here I Come" should be played "softly and slowly" at his funeral. When President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan
left Washington, D.C.
in 1989 to return to Los Angeles
, "California, Here I Come" was played as they boarded the Air Force One.
It is also featured as the main title theme of the motion picture "Back to Bataan", starring John Wayne and Anthony Quinn. It was the Victory March of the US Sixth Army, which played a major role in the liberation of the Philippine Islands, which is the subject of that film. Sixth Army, formerly the Army of the Pacific, was based in California with its headquarters at the Presidio near San Francisco.
The Fight Song
of San Francisco State University
, the "State Victory Song", is sung to the tune of California, Here I Come.
' Recreation of Maxine Albro's "California". The Pageant of the Masters makes "living recreations" of art in Laguna Beach every year.
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musical Bombo
Bombo (musical)
Bombo is a Broadway musical with a book and lyrics by Harold R. Atteridge and music by Sigmund Romberg.Produced by Lee Shubert and J. J. Shubert, the Broadway production, staged by J. C. Huffman, opened on October 6, 1921 at the Jolson Theatre, where it ran for 219 performances...
, starring Al Jolson
Al Jolson
Al Jolson was an American singer, comedian and actor. In his heyday, he was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer"....
. The song was written by Buddy DeSylva and Joseph Meyer
Joseph Meyer (songwriter)
Joseph Meyer was an American songwriter who wrote some of the most notable songs of the first half of the twentieth century....
, with Jolson often listed as a co-author. Jolson recorded the song in 1924
1924 in music
-Events:*February 18 – First recordings by Bix Beiderbecke*February 24 – An Experiment In Modern Music concert at Aeolian Hall, New York – première of Rhapsody in Blue.*June – Alexander von Zemlinsky's Lyric Symphony is premiered in Prague....
. It is often called the unofficial state song of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
State song
Several attempts had been made to designate "California, Here I Come" as the official state song of CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, especially after a resolution passed by the California State Legislature
California State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
in 1951 designated "I Love You, California
I Love You, California
I Love You, California is the official state song of California. The lyrics were written by Francis Bernard Silverwood , a Los Angeles clothier and the words were subsequently put to music by Abraham Franklin Frankenstein , then conductor of the Orpheum Theatre Orchestra...
" as the state song. However, these attempts proved unsuccessful, as "I Love You, California" was officially declared the state song in 1988.
Appearances in popular culture
The song, often as an instrumental version, was frequently used by Carl StallingCarl Stalling
Carl W. Stalling was an American composer and arranger for music in animated films. He is most closely associated with the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts produced by Warner Bros., where he averaged one complete score each week, for 22 years.-Biography:Stalling was born to Ernest and...
and Milt Franklyn
Milt Franklyn
Milton J. Franklyn was a musical composer and arranger who worked on the Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes animated cartoons....
, musical directors at Warner Bros. Cartoons
Warner Bros. Cartoons
Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc. was the in-house division of Warner Bros. Pictures during the Golden Age of American animation. One of the most successful animation studios in American media history, Warner Bros. Cartoons was primarily responsible for the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies theatrical...
. The song often accompanies a character's hasty or spontaneous departure, such as in the 1946 cartoon Hair-Raising Hare
Hair-Raising Hare
Hair-Raising Hare is a 1946 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon, released in 1946. It was directed by Chuck Jones and written by Tedd Pierce...
, 1950's Bushy Hare
Bushy Hare
Bushy Hare is an animated Bugs Bunny Cartoon made in 1949, released in 1950, by Robert McKimson. Bugs winds up switched with a baby kangaroo and has to deal with 'Nature Boy', an aborigine who is hunting Bugs. The title is a play on "bushy hair" along with aborigines stereotypically being from "the...
, and 1955's Rabbitson Crusoe
Rabbitson Crusoe
Rabbitson Crusoe is a 1955 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes short released in 1956 and directed by Friz Freleng. The name and part of the story is a direct parody of Robinson Crusoe.-Plot:...
, as examples.
A well-known rendition of the song appears in episode 110 of the television series I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy is an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on the Columbia Broadcasting System...
. The episode, titled "California, Here We Come!", features the four principal cast members beginning a cross-country road trip
Road trip
A road trip is any journey taken on roads, regardless of stops en route. Typically, road trips are long distances traveled by automobile.-Pre-automobile road trips:...
from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to California, where Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz was a Cuban-born American musician, actor and television producer. While he gained international renown for leading a Latin music band, the Desi Arnaz Orchestra, he is probably best known for his role as Ricky Ricardo on the American TV series I Love Lucy, starring with Lucille Ball, to...
) plans to make a movie. Ricky, who is shown behind the wheel driving across the George Washington Bridge from New York into New Jersey (and westward), begins singing the song's chorus and he is soon joined by Fred (William Frawley
William Frawley
William Clement "Bill" Frawley was an American stage entertainer, screen and television actor. Although Frawley acted in over 100 films, he achieved his greatest fame playing landlord Fred Mertz for the situation comedy I Love Lucy.-Early life:William was born to Michael A. Frawley and Mary E....
) and Ethel (Vivian Vance
Vivian Vance
Vivian Roberta Jones was an American television and theater actress and singer. Often referred to as “TV’s most beloved second banana,” she is best known for her role as Ethel Mertz, sidekick to Lucille Ball on the American television sitcom I Love Lucy, and as Vivian Bagley on The Lucy...
), and then, finally, by a badly off-key but highly spirited Lucy (Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
). At one point, Fred sings part of the chorus as a short solo in a manner that is highly suggestive of the syncopated style often associated with Al Jolson, and Ricky joins in briefly with a similar apparent nod to the song's originator. Still images of the famous scene, which have been popularized in posters and greeting card, are often used to typify the I Love Lucy series (all four principal cast members are shown together and facing the camera) and the scene offers a nostalgic view of America's love affair with the automobile in the 1950s.
In the 1934 W. C. Fields
W. C. Fields
William Claude Dukenfield , better known as W. C. Fields, was an American comedian, actor, juggler and writer...
film, It's a Gift
It's a Gift
It's a Gift is a 1934 comedy film starring W. C. Fields, considered by film historians to be one of Fields' best and funniest films.It concerns the trials and tribulations of a grocery store owner as he battles a shrewish wife, an incompetent assistant, and assorted annoying children, customers,...
, a record of the song is shown on-screen and the Victrola needle is put down to play it. The recording then plays over the next scene, showing the Bisonette family packing for their trip to the west coast.
The song is played in the classic Sierra game Gold Rush as the ship carrying fortune seekers comes to port in Sacramento.
"Casa Loma Stomp" recorded by Fletcher Henderson
Fletcher Henderson
James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson, Jr. was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. His was one of the most prolific black orchestras and his influence was vast...
is a set of jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
variations on the song, whose tune is clearly audible in the first few verses and gradually disappears under the increasing complexity of the variations.
Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
recorded a cover of this song, which appears in his 1960
1960 in music
-Events:*January 14 – Elvis Presley is promoted to Sergeant in the U.S. Army*February 6 – Songwriter Jesse Belvin dies in an automobile accident in Los Angeles...
album The Genius Hits the Road
The Genius Hits the Road
The Genius Hits the Road is a 1960 album by Ray Charles. It is a concept album of sorts with the theme revolving around various parts of the U.S...
.
Dutch rock band The Shocking Blue refers to Jolson's original lyric in their own song, "California Here I Come" on their 1969 album At Home
At Home (Shocking Blue album)
At Home is an album by Shocking Blue, released in 1969. The album is best known for its hit single, "Venus".The song "Acka Raga" was later used as the theme song for the BBC1 quiz show Ask the Family.-LP version:Side 1...
.
Phantom Planet
Phantom Planet
Phantom Planet are an American alternative rock band from Southern California. Formed in 1994 in Los Angeles, the band consists of Alex Greenwald , Darren Robinson , Sam Farrar and Jeff Conrad . The band is best known for its track "California", which became the theme song for the Fox TV series,...
credits Al Jolson and the writers of "California, Here I Come" for Phantom Planet's song "California", which was used as the theme song to the television series The O.C.
The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
. The 2002 song, although not a complete cover, alludes to Jolson's song in its lines "California, here we come / Right back where we started from".
The song is used as the theme song for the California historical travelogue series on PBS, California's Gold
California's Gold
California's Gold is a public television travel program that explores the numerous natural, cultural and historical wonders of the Golden State. The show, now in its 17th year, is produced and hosted by Huell Howser...
, hosted by Huell Howser.
In what is arguably the most ironic
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
appearance of the song in popular culture, in the 2003 Canadian film, The Saddest Music in the World
The Saddest Music in the World
The Saddest Music in the World is a 2003 Canadian film directed by Guy Maddin. It stars Mark McKinney, Isabella Rossellini, Maria de Medeiros, David Fox and Ross McMillan....
, the song is played by the American team in the final round of the competition (against Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
), by a multicultural orchestra consisting of violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
s, sitar
Sitar
The 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
, and Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n panpipes.
On the final episode of Martin
Martin (TV series)
Martin is an American sitcom produced by HBO Independent Productions that aired for five seasons, from August 27, 1992 to May 1, 1997 on Fox...
, the episode titled "California, Here We Come" where Martin and Gina offer for a job in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and saying good-bye to the Motor City
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
on May 1, 1997.
On November 9, Huell Howser released a music video of his performance of "California, Here I Come" on KCET.
Other appearances
The song was played by the ship's band of the aircraft carrierAircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
USS Yorktown (CV-5)
USS Yorktown (CV-5)
was an aircraft carrier commissioned in the United States Navy from 1937 until she was sunk at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. She was named after the Battle of Yorktown in 1781 and the lead ship of the Yorktown class which was designed after lessons learned from operations with the large...
as the ship steamed from Pearl Harbor to participate in the Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
. The song may have been intended as a deception, as the severely outnumbered American forces depended on surprise to gain an advantage in the battle. Japanese agents seeing the Yorktown departing would hopefully conclude that it was steaming for the mainland rather than to Midway.
Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, in a set of instructions he left in case he were to die in office, directed that "California, Here I Come" should be played "softly and slowly" at his funeral. When President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
left Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1989 to return to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, "California, Here I Come" was played as they boarded the Air Force One.
It is also featured as the main title theme of the motion picture "Back to Bataan", starring John Wayne and Anthony Quinn. It was the Victory March of the US Sixth Army, which played a major role in the liberation of the Philippine Islands, which is the subject of that film. Sixth Army, formerly the Army of the Pacific, was based in California with its headquarters at the Presidio near San Francisco.
The Fight Song
Fight song
A fight song is primarily an American and Canadian sports term, referring to a song associated with a team. In both professional and amateur sports, fight songs are a popular way for fans to cheer for their team...
of San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
, the "State Victory Song", is sung to the tune of California, Here I Come.
The 2010 Pageant of the Masters
The song was sung during the Pageant of the MastersPageant of the Masters
The Pageant of the Masters is an annual festival held by the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach, California. The event is known for its tableaux vivant or "living pictures" in which classical and contemporary works of art are recreated by real people who are made to look nearly identical to the...
' Recreation of Maxine Albro's "California". The Pageant of the Masters makes "living recreations" of art in Laguna Beach every year.