Cooder, Ry - Poor Man's Shangri-La Lyrics






Tell you 'bout this friend of mine that you don't know
He lives way up a road that's lost in time
Don't know his name, or where he's coming from
Only thing you know, he's a real gone cat
This friend of mine

He don't have no uptown friends, or drive a Cadillac
But he's got cool threads and a beat up car
All his downtown friends like me ride around in the back
'Cause he's a real cool cat, yeah he's a real cool cat
This friend of mine

La Loma boys will run with you
Do anything that you want them to
If you need a friend 'cause you're feeling blue
Palo Verde girls never let you down

Na na na na na, living in a poor man's Shangri-La

Firme guys in their firme cars
Underneath the moon and stars
The city lights way down below
What's that sound? What's that light
Streaking down through the night?

What's it mean? It's a red cloud over
Chávez Ravine

Oralé, UFO, come gliding low
Se cayó up Chávez Road
Space Vato, square cat
Say, "Caramba, partners, where's the party at?"

I heard about the cool jerk, and the alligator
Tokay wine, Mary Jane, and Lil' Julian Herrera
Iwant to learn to dance, make romance
These La Bishop girls might take a chance

My friend says, "No, be cool, bro
If you want to dance slow
Learn to ask a mi hermana con respeto"

UFO got a radio
Lil' Julian singing soft and low
Los Angeles down below
DJ says, we got to go
To El Monte, El Monte, pa El Monte

Na na na na na, living in a poor man's Shangri-La





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Cooder, Ry Poor Man's Shangri-La Comments
  1. T.... H....

    This is a great album. One of the few I've bought in the last 20 years. There is a message, but it's wrapped up in beautiful music.

  2. M.... M....

    Masterpiece

  3. A.... ....

    4:20 EL MONTEE!! This is so good and leagues above the garbage that releases today in terms of message, lyrical content, and damn it the sound is as if this came out yesterday, really great.

  4. I.... d....

    UFOs gotta radio

  5. J.... B....

    Amazing Record...

  6. M.... B....

    Fantastic to see this great album on You Tube; where are the hundreds of comments it deserves?

    M.... B....

    I played Mambo Sinuendo yesterday, there were ZERO comments, so I had to add one, heh....this was a great period for Ry, obviously buoyed by his BVSC success, adding new rhythms and sounds!

    M.... B....

    It's inconvenient history that sleepy Americans deliberately forget.

  7. K.... C....

    Love it! This is an important story that all Southern Californians should know. Thank you for making a musical version of the story of Chavez Ravine.

    K.... C....

    Karen Cordova It's actually a story all Americans should know.