Ry Cooder

Poor Man's Shangri-La

Tell you 'bout a 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 that 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 gone cat, this friend of mine

La Loma boys will run with you

Do anything that you want 'em to

And 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

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 Chavez Ravine

Orale, UFO, come gliding low

Se cayo, up Chavez road

Space vato, square cat

Say, "Caramba, partners, where's the party at?"

I heard about the cool jerk and the alligator

And I heard about Tokay Wine, Mary Jane, and lil' Julian Herrera

I wanna learn to dance, make romance

These La Bishop girls might take a chance

My friend say, "No, be cool, bro'

If you want to dance slow

Learn to ask a mi hermana con respeto"

UFO's got a radio

Lil' Julian singing soft and low

Los Angeles down below

DJ say, we got to go, where?

To El Monte, El Monte, El Monte, pa El Monte

Na, na, na, na, na