CALIFORN-I-AY
(Jerome Kern / Yip Harburg)

Deanna Durbin 1944


As sung in Can't Help Singing 1944 by Durbin, Paige and Chorus
Jerome Kern Musical
CALIFORN-I-AY is one of several waltzes Kern wrote
Director: Frank Ryan
Leads: Deanna Durbin/Robert Paige/Akim Tamiroff
Deanna Durbin's only Technicolor film of the 21 she made.


There are poets who sing
Of that mythical kingdom of Arcane (?)
But alack and unfortunately
They're not up to the times.

For there isn't a thing
In that second-hand kingdom of Arcane (?)
That compares to the sun or the sea
Of that gold spangled coast
Pardon us if we boast
When we toast.

Californ-i-ay
Where each plum and each prune
Is as big as the moon
Californ-i-ay
Where the simpler kind fails if I may (?)
There are gals to attract us
There's hole in the cactus
Of yesterday
And we found Californ-i-ay
For without it there's no USA.

Robert Paige:

In this new Eldorado
There's free avocado
For everyone.

Durbin:

And there's none that weighs under a ton
In this fabulous clime.

Chorus

We have luscious persimmon
And they know our women (?)
Who never run
When there's work
Or romance to be done
So we say to each friend
Who may seek journey's end
We commend

Californ-i-ay
Where the rain doesn't rain
It just drizzles champagne
Californ-i-ay
Where romance is the theme of the day.

Robert Paige:
>From San Pedro to Fresno
No maiden there says no
And love is mine.

Durbin:
For in gay Californ-i-ay
Everything's more tremendous, titanic, stupendous
The climate is better, the ocean is wetter
The mountains are higher
The deserts are drier
The hills have more splendor
The girls have more gender
Californ-i-ay
For without it there's no USA.



(Transcribed by David Story - June 2013)