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Helen (Los Angeles) Lyrics by Mark Abel

The Dream Gallery: Seven California Portraits

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Autumn morning, Marina del Rey
Workmen sip their coffee
Parked by the mouth of the Grand Canal
The painters and plasterers will be plying their trade
As soon as their clients are decent
A young girl walks her dog
And I, the pride of Fontana
So many years ago I came
To the towers of downtown
Pretty, but oh so green, I needed a mentor
I found one in Ken
Smooth as Glenlivet, polite and kind
Son of a banker back East
A prince of the board room
Charm to spare and wavy hair
He showed me the ropеs, in more ways than one
-- And we always had fun!
Off to Vеgas, with the top down
Weekends in Baja Sur
The slopes at Mammoth
Sparkling in the moonlight
Sunday brunches in Laguna
Strolling along the sand
I outmaneuvered the other girls
And rose with the arc of his star
My marvelous man
And over time, the closeness grew
Sometimes I wondered what he saw in me
I gave up my flat in Van Nuys
We married and bought in the Palisades
Thanks to the money that his parents left
Boom times, our times ...
Soon a child was on the way
I quit my job since Ken was almost up to the top
My golden life seemed so secure
Unfolding like the proudest bird of paradise
The years rolled on
Some friends melted down into the white powder
Others wrapped themselves in the flag
We stayed with what we knew
-- or should I say, I stayed
Held by the fear of it slipping away
My life narrowed down to a point
And I froze
I couldn’t see, but Ken was turning
Turning away from me
More and more time at the office
-- or so he said
My focus was our son
A chip off the old block
-- sociable, bright and easy on the eyes
I hardly see him anymore
Finally, my husband brought forth his creature
Much younger, so lithe and smart
A walking tribute to the plastic surgeon’s art
His plan was perfection, a fait accompli
As I was reeling, the lawyer called to announce Ken’s terms
They were generous, I suppose
It all happened so fast
No time to gauge the damage to my heart
That was twenty years ago;
Where have I been since then?
A new life, unscheduled
No map or guide for this blasted landscape
I have wandered in the wilderness, a trackless swamp of time
Where songless birds are flying
Now I live in this place by the sea
Manicured, windswept and lonely
Life on the Via Dolce has never been sweet
But maybe tomorrow I will finally turn the page
Credits
Mark Abel

Mark Abel

About “Helen (Los Angeles)” by Mark Abel

Read the complete lyrics to "Helen (Los Angeles)" by Mark Abel from the album "The Dream Gallery: Seven California Portraits". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"Helen (Los Angeles)" is performed by Mark Abel. from the album "The Dream Gallery: Seven California Portraits" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Helen (Los Angeles)", explore more songs by Mark Abel using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Helen (Los Angeles)" is credited to Mark Abel. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Helen (Los Angeles)" appears on "The Dream Gallery: Seven California Portraits".

Visit the Mark Abel artist page at /artist/mark-abel for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.