[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUlH09TMKgQ[/youtube]
As a kid growing up in the landlocked mid-west the whole “surfer” thing was mystifying and amazing at once. Jan and Dean were right at the start of the whole “surfer sound” in LA while attending University High.
It was the Beach Boys that made this uniquely LA sound a world wide phenomenona. It was one more thing to put LA on the world map in the 1960’s. Fun songs, fun melody and you could cruise all day to the tunes.
I’ve always loved the “Little Old Lady” for the visuals of the lyrics. Of course everyone knew a “little old lady racer” type as made famous in “Little Old Lady from Pasadena”. My Aunt was one, we tease my mother that she’s another (ask her to powerslide the Town Car into a garage sale sometime if you think I’m kidding). But I digress. Jan and Dean issued the first version of “Little Old Lady from Pasadena” in 1964 and the Beach Boys played it many years later as part of a superbowl promo that gave it a whole new audience and popularity. (To see that one you need to make the jump).
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_lLgFXbTtE[/youtube]
The lyrics celebrated all things LA at the time. The love of surfing, our rising car culture and even poked a little fun at the huge upwelling of the “youth culture” as the first of the baby boomers were hitting their stride as teens.
It’s the little old lady from Pasadena
The little old lady from Pasadena
Go granny, go granny, go granny go
Has a pretty little flower bed of white gardenias
Go granny, go granny, go granny go
But parked in her rickety old garage
Is a brand new shiny red Super Stock Dodge
And everybody’s saying that there’s nobody meaner
Than the little old lady from Pasadena
She drives real fast and she drives real hard
She’s the terror of Colorado Boulevard
It’s the little old lady from Pasadena
If you see her on the street don’t try to choose her
Go granny, go granny, go granny go
You might drive a goer but you’ll never lose her
Go granny, go granny, go granny go
Well, she’s gonna get a ticket now sooner or later
‘Cause she can’t keep her foot off the accelerator
And everybody’s saying that there’s nobody meaner
Than the little old lady from Pasadena
She drives real fast and she drives real hard
She’s a terror of Colorado Boulevard
It’s the little old lady from Pasadena
Go granny, go granny, go granny go
Go granny, go granny, go granny go
The guys come to race her from miles around
But she’ll give ’em a length then she’ll shut ’em down
And everybody’s saying that there’s nobody meaner
Than the little old lady from Pasadena
She drives real fast and she drives real hard
She’s a terror out on Colorado Boulevard
It’s the little old lady from Pasadena
Go granny, go granny, go granny go
Granny go
Go granny, go granny, go granny go
Granny go
Go granny, go granny, go granny go
Granny go
Go granny, go granny, go granny go
Granny go
Hat tip to Julia Frey who came up with the idea for the series and explained it here.
Best version of the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrJO9wbA-28
That is a great link! Wish it had turned up on the search I had done before I did the post.