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L​.​A. Squirrel

from Southern Girl by Joanne Rand

/

about

Penned while shooting a music video in L.A. last year. A portrait of L.A. from a Squirrel's point of view. ... I spent a lot of time walking the streets & neighborhoods of L.A., where squirrels are the prevalent wildlife. One day I saw a squirrel with no tail; it didn't look like much. The first line came to me then: "I'm an L.A. Squirrel." The idea of having it all and losing it all, like that tail.

lyrics

L.A. SQUIRREL, QUEEN OF BEASTS - JOANNE RAND
I’M AN L.A. SQUIRREL – I GOT BIG WHITE TEETH
BETTER WATCH OUT FOR THIS QUEEN OF BEASTS
IN MY FURS AD FINERY - I SHOOT THE BREEZE
BETTER WATCH OUT FOR THIS QUEEN OF BEASTS
WAY DOWN IN MEXICO - THEY BUILD CATHEDRALS
BUT IN L.A. THEY BUILD MOVIE ICON SPECTACLES
FACES 24 FEET TALL - HEROES ONE AND ALL
THIS GUILDED GLOBE HAS GOT US IN ITS THRALL
I’M AN L.A. SQUIRREL - GOT A BUSHY TAIL
IF I LOSE THAT MY PROSPECTS SURELY FAIL
FATE COULD TURN ON A DIME - HAPPENS ALL THE TIME
I COULD BE NOTHING BUT A RAT WITH A CARDBOARD SIGN
DOWN ON SKID ROW - THEY GOT IT BAD
LOSING EVERY SINGLE SHRED OF HOPE THEY HAD
BLACK PLASTIC IGLOOS, MADE OF VISQUINE AND SCRAP BAMBOO
SLEEPING 15 PEOPLE THAT GOT NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE
I’M AN L.A. SQUIRREL – I GOT BIG WHITE TEETH
GOT A FLASHY TAIL AND FOUR FEROCIOUS FEET
YOU CAN BANK ON ME - LAY YOUR MONEY DOWN
I’M UP AND COMING, & I’M GONNA TAKE THIS TOWN
ELEVATOR GOING UP - FILLED WITH HOPEFUL PUPS
BIG BOTTOM GIRLS IN TIGHT SKIRTS & TALL HEELS
ELEVATOR GOING DOWN - TO THE MIDNIGHT STREETS OF DOWNTOWN
FILLED WITH SAD EYED YOUNG MEN & YOU KNOW HOW THAT FEELS
WELL SOME FOLKS SAY – THEY’RE GONNA LEAVE L.A.
GONNA GET OUT OF THIS TOWN, SOMEHOW, SOMEDAY
BUT THAT AIN’T ME – I AM MESMERIZED
I GOT THAT CALIFORNIA DREAM IN MY EYES
CAUSE THE STREETS OF L.A. - THEY GOT SOMETHING TO SAY
EVERY CHANTEUSE TRIES TO SING IT HER WAY
IT’S AN AGE OLD STORY – OF GRIME AND GLORY:
WELL YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL, BUT YOU GOTTA PAY
I’M AN L.A. SQUIRREL – I GOT BIG WHITE TEETH
BETTER WATCH OUT FOR THIS QUEEN OF BEASTS
SHE ‘S GONNA BE A STAR - PAVED IN HOLLYWOOD BLDV.
SHE ‘S GONNA GET BURIED DOWN AT THE ROCK & ROLL GRAVEYARD
SHE ‘S GONNA GET BURIED DOWN AT THE ROCK & ROLL GRAVEYARD
WHERE PEACOCKS STRUT - AND SPREAD THEIR TAILS
AND THE ROYAL PYRAMIDS LINE THE TRAILS
IT COULD HAPPEN FOR ME - I GOT LOOKS, TALENT & DESTINY
BETTER WATCH OUT FOR THIS QUEEN OF BEASTS.
BETTER WATCH OUT FOR THIS QUEEN OF BEASTS.
BETTER WATCH OUT FOR THIS QUEEN!

credits

from Southern Girl, released August 26, 2015
• Joanne Rand- Acoustic guitars, vocals, keyboard, clarinet (Monkey Puzzle Tree, LA Squirrel), shaker • Bradley Dee- Drums & percussion (Cripple Creek, Thicker than Water, LA Squirrel, I Love It) • Jonathan Kipp- Drums (Mud in Your Eye, Monkey Puzzle Tree, Maid of Constant Sorrow, Ginseng Sullivan, Red Rose) • Tim Randles- Electric Bass, keyboard (Woodstock) • Piet Dalmolen- Electric & slide Guitars • Rob Diggins- Violin © &P 2015, Joanne Rand, Homefire Productions, BMI
•Produced by Joanne Rand with Stephen Hart & Piet Dalmolen. •Mixed & mastered by Stephen Hart (Two Rock Digital, Petaluma, CA) •Recorded & pre-Mixed by Piet Dalmolen (Universal Balance Studios, Arcata, CA) •All songs by Joanne Rand except: Cripple Creek & Maid of Constant Sorrow (traditional), Red Rose (lyrics by Robert Burns, melody traditional Scottish), Woodstock (Joni Mitchell, SONY ATV Tunes LLC OBO Siquomb Publishing), the Monkey-Puzzle Tree (lyrics Jordan Rand) & Ginseng Sullivan (Norman Blake, Blake & Blake Music)

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Joanne Rand Arcata

“A fixture of the Northern California folk scene, Rand’s life, activism & art are woven seamlessly together. A celebrated musician, composer & teacher. From stripped-down folk songs to lush, textured rock arrangements, she makes consistently engaging, perceptive, universal music.”-SFStation.com 2012. Touring nationally for 30 years, Rand is currently releasing 15th CD of original songs. ... more

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