In the town where I was born here on the coast of California
By the dock of the bay, they often tell
A tidal wave just hit the shore and folks like me, we can't afford
To stick around here in this town we love so well

I got the San Francisco blues
Now there's nothing left to lose
I can't afford the dues and so I'm leaving

I miss the stars that used to shine and the days of '49
But most of all I miss the California dreaming

Before the fights, before the quake
Before the crash of '08
There was magic, you could feel it in your heart
But raise the rent and scrub the street
It gets so hard to make ends meat
Now I can't even pay to ride the cable cars

I got the San Francisco blues
Now there's nothing left to lose
I can't afford the dues and so I'm leaving

I miss the stars that used to shine and the summer of '69
But most of all I miss the California dreaming

I swore I'd make it back to stay to my home across the Bay
And how I've rambled every way just like the wind blows
But now I'm lost here on my own in a world that was my home
I must've left my broken heart in San Francisco

I got the San Francisco blues
And my heart is broken too
I can't pay the dues and so I'm leaving

I miss the stars that used to shine and the days of '49
But most of all I miss the California dreaming
Most of all I miss the California dreaming