Song Inspiration

I didn’t come up with this phrase — someone referred offhandedly to “Charcoal California,” and I thought it would make a nice song.

“Welcome to the Charcoal California . . . “

Going to be humming that now when I see video footage from there.

8 Comments

  1. 🎵 🎶 🎶 🎵 🎶 🎶

    Charcoal California,
    Here’s just what it means,
    You’ve got DEI employees,
    looking cool in their jeans.

    Charcoal California,
    I’m just here to say,
    That the fire is really coming,
    To burn your house today!

    (Okay, I tried.)

  2. On a dark desert highway, power cut off again
    Warm smell of burnt embers rising up like back when
    Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
    The fire leapt quickly and the sky grew dim, thick smoke turned daylight to night
    Then they came to the doorway, a warning they did tell,
    “You gotta get right on out of here, before this place turns to hell
    Then they lit up the flashers and they peeled out away
    There were voices down the corridor, I thought I heard them say
    “Welcome to the Charcoal California
    Such a smoky place (such a chokey place)
    Such a burned-out place
    Not enough trucks for the Charcoal California
    Any time of year (any time of year)
    It starts burning here”
    The fire is pretty twisted, it torched the Mercedes-Benz,
    The state is short of water stores, that means some fiery ends
    Flames, they dance in the courtyard, no aid is in sight
    Flames dance ’til they’re embers, some dance through the night
    So I called up the Captain, “Please help me out here”
    He said, “We haven’t had any chance here since 1969”
    And still, those voices are calling from far away
    Wake you up in the middle of the night just to hear them say
    “Move out of the Hotel California
    It’s a sucky place (turns to mucky place)
    Such a big disgrace
    They screwed it all up for the Charcoal California
    That ain’t nice surprise (never a surprise)
    They just pump out lies”
    Smoke is on the ceiling, the pink retardant floats around
    There is only one way out as it burns down to the ground
    What’s left of burned out chambers, they stand in mute relief
    They stab at us with steely knives, but we’ll never kill the grief
    Last thing I remember, I was running for the door
    I had to find the passage back to the place I was before
    “Relax, ” said the governor, “We are programmed to receive
    You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave”

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