Lyle Lovett Songs - L.A. County Lyrics

Lyle Lovett - L.A. County

Lyle Lovett - L.A. County Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Pontiac
Released: 1987

L.A. County Lyrics

She left Dallas for California
With an old friend by her side
Well he did not say much
But one year later
He'd ask her to be his wife

And the lights of L.A. County
Look like diamonds in the sky
When you're driving through the hours
With an old friend at your side

One year later I left Houston
With an old friend by my side
Well it did not say much
But it was a beauty
Of a coal black .45

And the lights of L.A. County
Look like diamonds in the sky
When you're driving through the hours
With an old friend at your side

So I drove on all the day long
And I drove on through the night
And I thought of her a'waiting
For to be his blushing bride

And the lights of L.A. County
They looked like diamonds in the sky
As I drove into the valley
With my old friend at my side

And as she stood there at the altar
All dressed in her gown of white
Her face was bright as stars a'shining
Like I'd dreamed of all my life

And they kissed each other
And they turned around
And they saw me standing in the aisle
Well I did not say much
I just stood there watching
As that .45 told them goodbye

And the lights of L.A. County
Look like diamonds in the sky
When you're kneeling at the altar
With an old friend at your side

And the lights of L.A. County
Are a mighty pretty sight
When you're kneeling at the altar
With an old friend at your side

Writer/s: LOVETT, LYLE PEARCE
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

L.A. County

Lovett describes this as "An attempt at the narrative murder ballad."

Many classic Country songs recount tales of murder, like Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues." At this point, Lovett was still being marketed as Country, so this fit with his image.

Lyle added his own twist to the tale, vividly describing the marriage of his ex-girlfriend to another man. At the wedding, he shoots them both down from the middle of the aisle. He personifies the murder weapon by calling it his "old friend."