Oh California
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A gold rush-themed parody of popular American folk song "Oh! Susanna".
"Oh! Susanna" was one of the earliest and most enduringly popular songs written by Stephen Foster. Originally written in dialect as a minstrel song, it was first performed 11 September 1847, and saw at least 20 different printings, mostly unauthorized, by 1851.[1]
The "California" version emerged just a year later, first sung by a trio of passengers on the ship Eliza, departing Salem, MA on 23 December 1848 bound for San Francisco. Contemporary newspapers published the new lyrics under the title "The California Emigrant", often attributing them to one of the singers, John Nichols, though some sources credit them to unnamed friends of the singers.[2]
The band released their version of the song on the fourth Pieces of Eight EP, Prospect, on 6 June 2025.
Lyrics
As performed on the album
I come from Salem City with a washbowl on my knee
I'm going to California, the gold dust for to see
It rained all night the day I left, the weather it was dry
The sun so hot I froze to death, oh brother, don't you cry
{Chorus}
Oh, California
That's the land for me
Now I'm off to San Francisco
With a washbowl on my knee
I jumped aboard the largest ship that traveled on the sea
And every time I thought of home I wished it wasn't me
The vessel reared like any horse that had of oats a wealth
I found it wouldn't throw me so I thought I’d throw myself
{Chorus}
I thought of all the pleasant times we've had together here
I thought I ought to cry a bit but couldn't shed a tear
The pilot's bread was in my mouth, the gold dust in my eye
And though I'm going far away, dear brother, don't you cry
{Chorus}
And when I get to Frisco, boys, I'll take a look around
And when I see the gold lumps there, I'll pick them off the ground
I'll scrape the mountains clean, my boys; I'll drain the rivers dry
A pocket full of rocks bring home, so brothers, don't you cry
{Chorus 2x}