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California Lyrics by Pretenders

¡Viva El Amor!

1999

I don’t want to go back home
There’s nothing to go back to
No one to admit I never found what I ran away to pursue
I’m happy to be away from the grey
Happy to be far away
When I feel the sunshine on my face
It’s enough to make me weep
Served my time in darkness
And spent years asleep
Ah there’s nothing to take me and the sky
The California sky
Oh California, maybe you’ll be the final resting place
I’ll finally be free
Oh California, I was just passing through
I left everything I loved
But I won’t be leaving you
I thought all the places some
I lost my baby, now I don’t want anyone
I don’t want to go back home
Anyway it’s too late
I wanted fame and glory
It just wasn’t my fate
I’m happy to be going nowhere today
In the hills above LA
Oh California, maybe you’ll be the final resting place
Finally be free
Oh California, I was just passing through
I left everything I loved, but I won’t be leaving you
I left everything I loved, but I won’t be leaving you
Credits

About “California” by Pretenders

Read the complete lyrics to "California" by Pretenders from the album "¡Viva El Amor!" in 1999. 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.

"California" is performed by Pretenders. from the album "¡Viva El Amor!" in 1999 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 "California", explore more songs by Pretenders 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

"California" is credited to Pretenders. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"California" appears on "¡Viva El Amor!" in 1999.

Visit the Pretenders artist page at /artist/pretenders for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.