America: Ventura Highway Meaning

Song Released: 1972

Ventura Highway 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...

1. anonymous

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   Jun 25th 2017 !⃝

   Smokin' dope and amazed (as I was) by first listening to "Hey Joe" and "Purple Haze."
2. anonymous

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   Mar 3rd 2017 !⃝

   It's a woman singing to a man, a drifter; not sure what purple rain means, but she is celebrating the lazy life, with few concerns. He may indeed be fleeing a charge o some kind; but if she wants him to stay, how bad can he be? 'that's all right, son' may indicate she's older -- or it's an older man who knows how old drifting can become.
3. anonymous

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   Dec 6th 2016 !⃝

   It is about driving down the the highway amd listening to Jimi Hendrix. "Hey Joe" and "Purple Haze"
4. anonymous

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   May 16th 2016 !⃝

   Alligator lizards is referencing the clouds. A comment made by Beckley while the tire was being changed. Looked like a lizard was the shape of one cloud. Not suicidal lizards jumping off cliffs
5. anonymous

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   Jan 5th 2016 !⃝

   Lots of good drugs!
6. anonymous

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   Dec 20th 2015 !⃝

   Like many America songs, about Vietnam. Joe is gonna go, he won't "change his name" to avoid the draft lottery's results as the "Horse with No Name" speaker goes to the desert to do (in his case forget his name)
7. anonymous

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   Aug 4th 2012 !⃝

   "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"
   
   -a hitchhiker Joe talking about his leaving with the excuse of winter coming.
   
   chorus:
   "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"
   
   - then highway 101 along the sunny (warm) Calif coast in the 1950/60's. the desire to roam.
   
   "Alligator lizards in the air"
   
   -lotta lizards on the cliff by highway then, and some fell/jumped. when the author was kid his family stopped there to fix a tire and he may have seen that.
   
   :end chorus begin new verse:
   
   "Wishin' on a falling star
   Watchin' for the early train"
   
   - hitchhiker pleasure, or kids memory.
   
   "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"
   
   - not sure. kid and hitchhiker seem to be having a conversation, maybe hitchhike Joe is in trouble with the law (purple rain)?

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