[Note: acoustic 12-string is detuned 3 semitones and fingered in D]

Intro:

      (12-string [4X; drums and bass enter 4th time]):

      B5
      / / / /  / / / /

Verse 1:

       B5
      John and Mitchie were gettin' kind of itchy
      Just to leave the folk music behind
      E5
      Zal and Denny workin' for a penny
       B5
      Tryin' to get a fish on the line
            F#5
      In a coffee house Sebastian sat
           E5
      And after every number they'd pass the hat
          B5
      McGuinn and McGuire just a-gettin' higher
                                     E5
      In L.A., you know where that's at
                           D5               B5
      And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass

Verse 2:

      Zally said "Denny, you know there aren't many
      Who can sing a song the way that you do, let's go south"
      Denny said "Zally, 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'd pass the hat
      McGuinn and McGuire still a-gettin higher
      In L.A., you know where that's at
      And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass

Verse 3:

      When Cass was a sophomore, planned to go to Swarthmore
      But she changed her mind one day
      Standin' on the turnpike, thumb out to hitchhike
      "Take me to New York right away"
      When Denny met Cass he gave her love bumps
      Called John and Zal and that was the Mugwumps
      McGuinn and McGuire couldn't get no higher
      But that's what they were aimin' at
      And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass

Verse 4:

      Mugwumps, high jumps, slow slumps, big bumps
      Don't you work as hard as you play
      Make 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 a-catchin' fire
      In L.A., you know where that's at
      And everybody's gettin' fat except Mama Cass

Instrumental break:

      (flute solo over verse chords [might be edited on 45])

Verse 5:

      Broke, busted, disgusted, agents can't be trusted
      And Mitchie 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 cards
      Tent's low rent, but keeping out the heat's hard
      Duffy's good vibrations and our imaginations
      Can't go on indefinitely
      And California dreamin' is becomin' a reality

Coda:

      (flute solo):

      E5       D5        B5
      / / / /  / / / /   / / / /  / / / /

      E5       D5        B5
      / / / /  / / / /   /


-- another ace 60's tab from Andrew Rogers