About The Song
“Ventura Highway” is a song by the American rock band America, written by Dewey Bunnell and released in 1972 on their album “Homecoming”. The song was inspired by Bunnell’s childhood memories of driving down the coast from Vandenberg Air Force Base near Lompoc, California, where they had a flat tire. While his father changed the tire, he and his brother stood by the side of the road, watched the clouds, and saw a road sign for Ventura.
The song is a classic California anthem that captures the spirit of freedom and the allure of the open road, resonating with themes of exploration and escapism. The song features vivid imagery and metaphoric expressions like “alligator lizards in the air,” painting a picture of the Californian landscape and embodying the essence of wanderlust. The song peaked at #8 on the Billboard Top 40 chart.
Lyrics
Chewing on a piece of grass
Walking down the road
Tell me, how long you gonna stay here, Joe?
Some people say this town don't look good in snow
You don't care, I know
Ventura Highway in the sunshine
Where the days are longer
The nights are stronger than moonshine
You're gonna go I know
'Cause the free wind is blowin' through your hair
And the days surround your daylight there
Seasons crying no despair
Alligator lizards in the air, in the air
Did di di di dit ...
Wishin' on a falling star
Waitin' for the early train
Sorry boy, but I've been hit by purple rain
Aw, come on, Joe, you can always
Change your name
Thanks a lot, son, just the same
Ventura Highway in the sunshine
Where the days are longer
The nights are stronger than moonshine
You're gonna go I know
'Cause the free wind is blowin' through your hair
And the days surround your daylight there
Seasons crying no despair
Alligator lizards in the air, in the air
Did di di di dit ...
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