John and Mitchy were gettin' kind of itchy
just to leave the folk music behind
Zal and Denny workin' for a penny
tryin' to get a fish on the line
In a coffee house Sebastian sat
and after every number they passed the hat
McGuinn and McGuire just are gettin' higher
in L.A. you know where that's at
And no one's getting fat except Mama Cass
Zallie said "Denny you know there aren't many
who can sing a song the way that you do"
(let's go south)
Denny said "Zallie golly don't you think
that I wish I could play guitar like you?"
Zal, Denny and Sebastian sat (at the night owl)
and after every number they passed the hat
McGuinn and McGuire still are gettin' higher
in L.A. you know where that's at
And no one's getting fat except Mama Cass
When Cass was a sophomore
planned to go to Swarthmore
but she changed her mind one day
Standing on the turnpike
thumb out to hitchhike
take her to New York right away
When Denny met Cass he gave her love bumps
Call John and Zal and that was the mugwumps
McGuinn and McGuire couldn't get no higher
but that's what they were aiming at
And no one's getting fat except Mama Cass
Mugwumpshi-jumpslow slumpsbig bumps
don't you work as hard as you play?
Drink-up break-up everything is shake-up
guess it had to be that way
Sebastian and Zal formed the Spoonful
Michelle John and Denny gettin' very tuneful
McGuinn and McGuire just are catchin' fire
in L.A. you know where that's at
And everybody's gettin' fat except Mama Cass
(instrumental)
Broke busted disgusted agents can't be trusted
and Mitchy wants to go to the sea
Cass can't make it she says we'll have to fake it
we knew she'd come eventually
Greasin' on American Express card
Tents low rents and keepin' out the heat's hard
Duffy's good vibrations and our imaginations
can't go on indefinitely
And California dreaming is becoming a reality
Prounounced creaky it refers to a bar they used to play in the islands. the song is an anthem to the formation of the group.