She lived at the end of a little dirt road
In a house where secrets go untold
Barefoot in a cotton dress
Dark hair in a tangled mess
And a head full of crazy dreams
She said

I'm going to California
A place where the sun always shines
I'm going to California
And I'm leaving everything behind

You can't help, but feel a little bit touched
When your daddy loves you a little too much
You can wish on four leaf clovers
But all the fields have been plowed over
And there's nothing left to do but fly away
She said

I'm going to California
A place where the sun always shines
I'm going to California
And I'm leaving everything behind

Stars burn like candles on that two-lane highway
She made her wish and disappeared on her 18th birthday
And she said

I'm going to California
A place where the sun always shines
I'm going to California
And I'm leaving everything behind

I'm going to California
And I'm leaving everything behind

Oh, California
I'm going to California
Oh, California
Leaving it all behind
California