Just to leave the folk music behind
 Zal and Denny workin' for a penny
 Tryin' to get a fish on the line
 In a coffee house Sebastian sat
 And after every number they'd pass the hat
 McGuinn and McGuire just a-gettin' higher
 In L.A., you know where that's at
 And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass

 Zally said "Denny, you know there aren't many"
 "Who can sing a song the way that you do, let's go south"
 Denny said "Zally, golly, don't you think that I wish"
 "I could play guitar like you"
 Zal, Denny and Sebastian sat (at the Night Owl)
 And after every number they'd pass the hat
 McGuinn and McGuire still a-gettin higher
 In L.A., you know where that's at
 And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass

 When Cass was a sophomore, planned to go to Swarthmore
 But she changed her mind one day
 Standin' on the turnpike, thumb out to hitchhike
 "Take me to New York right away"
 When Denny met Cass he gave her love bumps
 Called John and Zal and that was the Mugwumps
 McGuinn and McGuire couldn't get no higher
 But that's what they were aimin' at
 And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass

 Mugwumps, high jumps, low slumps, big bumps
 Don't you work as hard as you play
 Make up, break up, everything is shake up
 Guess it had to be that way
 Sebastian and Zal formed the Spoonful
 Michelle, John, and Denny gettin' very tuneful
 McGuinn and McGuire just a-catchin' fire
 In L.A., you know where that's at
 And everybody's gettin' fat except Mama Cass
 Di-di-di-dit dit dit di-di-di-dit, who-o-oa

 ------ flute ------

 Broke, busted, disgusted, agents can't be trusted
 And Mitchy wants to go to the sea
 Cass can't make it, she says we'll have to fake it
 We knew she'd come eventually
 Greasin' on American Express cards
 It's low rent, but keeping out the heat's hard
 Duffy's good vibrations and our imaginations
 Can't go on indefinitely
 And California dreamin' is becomin' a reality