This album was given to me in 1980 by a friend who was from California. Now 43 years later, “The California Zephyr”is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. Mary McCaslin had one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard.
She informs my soul. I grew up in Monterey County and lived all over that state. Mary McCaslin describes California feelings perfectly. Thank you Mary ❤️
This song is majestic, it fills my head with images of a vacation out west then I have never taken. I am hoping to go to southern Utah this summer. I will have to take all of my Mary McCaslin and Bill Staines music. Thanks for posting. Music like this is as close as I come to having a religion.
This is my very favorite song and has been so for many years. I heard it a long time ago on a folk radio program in Salt Lake City, UT. I have always remembered it and treasured the voice, the words, and the tune. The storyline of the song is beautiful. I was later told my mother and I took the California Zephyr between California and Utah several times when I was a toddler; makes it even more special. Thanks to Mary McCaslin.
I heard this fine song for the first time today as part of an AMTRAK video of the California Zephyr train route. I have ridden the California Zephyr twice going from Chicago to the Bay area as part of AMTRAK cross country trips to see The West. From St. louis
lennyp.rdb Reading the previous comments, “majestic” is a good word, and for me too this song is and has been my very favorite since I first came across it in the 80’s. I’m a bit embarrassed to pin it as my favorite because the production might seem a little melodramatic, reminiscent of Gogi Grant’s, The Wayward Wind…. but what the hell, I just love it. I hang on the powerful images and feelings that Jim Ringer’s lyrics evoke for me. Coming to California in the early 60’s, was just in time to catch a taste of Steinbeck’s California. I share his passion and this song takes me right back there. I’m glad to have found some others who find something in this song to talk about. My sincere thanks to Geoecobks for posting the lyrics. I could not find them anywhere, and now I can do some fill-in. One thing, I’m hearing the last line of the chorus as “It’s the California Zephyr, whose headlight has forever, burned its brand upon the mist to face the California day.” (I posted this comment yesterday on a different website which I now understand imports comments from UA-cam…. so this comment might get double posted on that web site. Sorry, I’m new to this posting thing).
Sunrise lights the city where once stood a small tienda And stucco walled hotels can tell of all we have gained But here and there stands a grand adobe hacienda And now then, a graveyard filled with Spanish-sounding names. The highways cut the trees down, and the outlaws stole the land And the California Zephyr lies a sleeping And we're told the days are numbered, till we lose the giant redwoods And you can almost hear the Earth beneath you weeping But when you're standing by the trestle Can't you hear a ghostly whistle And the breathing of an engine pulling into Monterey? It's the California Zephyr, whose headlight has forever burned its brand upon the mist to face the California day Rolling fields and pastures lay for miles around Salinas Too soon the rows of houses will lay claim to all you see And who can show their children, those small adobe casas? And the families toiling in their fields beside the sea The evening lights of San Jose, once humbled by the stars And the strolling troubadour, with guitar ringing. They've all vanished with flashing neon lights and shining cars But the memory sets the rusty rails a singing And when you are standing by the trestle Can't you hear a ghostly whistle And the breathing of an engine pulling into San Jose? It's the California Zephyr, whose headlight has forever Burned its brand upon the mist to face the California day Southern California, where the hills roll to the sea And the schemes of men with vision choked the life out of the land There's a shroud upon the valleys where a blue sky used to be And the oil along the shoreline covers up the golden sand But the City of the Angels and the path the padres trod Somehow it held its beauty from days of old And Spanish tongues still whisper to a Spanish-speaking God And the ghosts of dreamers roam the hills for gold And when you're standing by the trestle Can't you hear a ghostly whistle And the breathing of an engine pulling into old LA? It's the California Zephyr, whose headlight has forever Burned its brand upon the mist to face the California day
The California Zephyr used to travel thru the Feather River Canyon....but no longer carried passengers s it is deemed too dangerous due to multiple rock slides.
This album was given to me in 1980 by a friend who was from California. Now 43 years later, “The California Zephyr”is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. Mary McCaslin had one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard.
I rode the California Zephyr train from southern Iowa all the way to California as a youngster in the 1960s. Love trains!!! :-)
She informs my soul. I grew up in Monterey County and lived all over that state. Mary McCaslin describes California feelings perfectly. Thank you Mary ❤️
Saw her in Santa Cruz area for years.......RIP Mary. You touched a lot of lives.
Love Mary!!! :-)
This song is majestic, it fills my head with images of a vacation out west then I have never taken. I am hoping to go to southern Utah this summer. I will have to take all of my Mary McCaslin and Bill Staines music. Thanks for posting. Music like this is as close as I come to having a religion.
Out west not a bad place to be! Guess because it’s home to me!!!
The old California . . . duende, wistful longing . . . "you can almost hear the earth beneath you weeping"
This is my very favorite song and has been so for many years. I heard it a long time ago on a folk radio program in Salt Lake City, UT. I have always remembered it and treasured the voice, the words, and the tune. The storyline of the song is beautiful.
I was later told my mother and I took the California Zephyr between California and Utah several times when I was a toddler; makes it even more special.
Thanks to Mary McCaslin.
KRCL, no doubt. in its heyday, it turned a lot of us onto great music.
Love Mary like tomorrow may never come...
First I have heard Mary McCaslin. I have heard much of Bill Staines music and like it. This is very beautiful. Glad it's on You Tube.
I heard this fine song for the first time today as part of an AMTRAK video of the California Zephyr train route. I have ridden the California Zephyr twice going from Chicago to the Bay area as part of AMTRAK cross country trips to see The West. From St. louis
I could listen to Mary forever.
Miss ya and Jim.
lennyp.rdb
Reading the previous comments, “majestic” is a good word, and for me too this song is and has been my very favorite since I first came across it in the 80’s. I’m a bit embarrassed to pin it as my favorite because the production might seem a little melodramatic, reminiscent of Gogi Grant’s, The Wayward Wind…. but what the hell, I just love it. I hang on the powerful images and feelings that Jim Ringer’s lyrics evoke for me. Coming to California in the early 60’s, was just in time to catch a taste of Steinbeck’s California. I share his passion and this song takes me right back there. I’m glad to have found some others who find something in this song to talk about. My sincere thanks to Geoecobks for posting the lyrics. I could not find them anywhere, and now I can do some fill-in. One thing, I’m hearing the last line of the chorus as “It’s the California Zephyr, whose headlight has forever, burned its brand upon the mist to face the California day.” (I posted this comment yesterday on a different website which I now understand imports comments from UA-cam…. so this comment might get double posted on that web site. Sorry, I’m new to this posting thing).
Thank you, Lenny. You are exactly right about the lyrics ... I edited the "mist to face the California day," plus one other little change.
It is overproduced, but Mary's voice can cut through anything. Used to hear her a lot in the 80s.
Sunrise lights the city where once stood a small tienda
And stucco walled hotels can tell of all we have gained
But here and there stands a grand adobe hacienda
And now then, a graveyard filled with Spanish-sounding names.
The highways cut the trees down, and the outlaws stole the land
And the California Zephyr lies a sleeping
And we're told the days are numbered, till we lose the giant redwoods
And you can almost hear the Earth beneath you weeping
But when you're standing by the trestle
Can't you hear a ghostly whistle
And the breathing of an engine pulling into Monterey?
It's the California Zephyr, whose headlight has forever
burned its brand upon the mist to face the California day
Rolling fields and pastures lay for miles around Salinas
Too soon the rows of houses will lay claim to all you see
And who can show their children, those small adobe casas?
And the families toiling in their fields beside the sea
The evening lights of San Jose, once humbled by the stars
And the strolling troubadour, with guitar ringing.
They've all vanished with flashing neon lights and shining cars
But the memory sets the rusty rails a singing
And when you are standing by the trestle
Can't you hear a ghostly whistle
And the breathing of an engine pulling into San Jose?
It's the California Zephyr, whose headlight has forever
Burned its brand upon the mist to face the California day
Southern California, where the hills roll to the sea
And the schemes of men with vision choked the life out of the land
There's a shroud upon the valleys where a blue sky used to be
And the oil along the shoreline covers up the golden sand
But the City of the Angels and the path the padres trod
Somehow it held its beauty from days of old
And Spanish tongues still whisper to a Spanish-speaking God
And the ghosts of dreamers roam the hills for gold
And when you're standing by the trestle
Can't you hear a ghostly whistle
And the breathing of an engine pulling into old LA?
It's the California Zephyr, whose headlight has forever
Burned its brand upon the mist to face the California day
great cannot find the lyric anywhere positive response 3 edits mystic bay, has forever, memory sets the rusty
The California Zephyr used to travel thru the Feather River Canyon....but no longer carried passengers s it is deemed too dangerous due to multiple rock slides.
My album had a different cover than above.
this was the original cover released on Mercury Records in the late 70's...