We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

The Roses of California

from Heart of the Mountain by Jeni & Billy

/
  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Lauded roots singer and Jean Ritchie scholar, Susie Glaze, writes in her review of "Heart of the Mountain" for Folkworks, "During and after a good hearing of this great new CD project, you’ll feel like you’ve spent a fine long visit in the mountains with this family, remembering the generations, and that they’re all new friends of yours."

    Comes in a eco-friendly paper envelope with artwork by Jeni Hankins and her father, Greg Hankins. Includes CD with 27 tracks, fully illustrated lyric booklet, and a newspaper including the spoken word selections from the CD as well as a recipe for Aunt Erma's Gingerbread, poems, and essays.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Heart of the Mountain via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 1 day

      $20 USD or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $1 USD  or more

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 26 Jeni Hankins releases available on Bandcamp and save 20%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of String Unraveller Demo May 2021, The American Dream (Harlis and Freda), Voice Memo Demo, I'm Letting Go of You – Kitchen Single, The Wondarium: Songs For Kids, A Body is a Delicate House, I Fell Into the Fire, The Loneliest Snowman, I Fell Into The Fire – Limited Edition Handprinted, and 18 more. , and , .

    Purchasable with gift card

      $181.68 USD or more (20% OFF)

     

about

This is the story of one of Jeni's maternal great Aunts who left Southwest Virginia with dreams of being a Hollywood actress, but ended up far from home in a lot of trouble.

lyrics

Oh, the Roses of California won't bring you home.

George McClellan has a brand new car,
and we're leaving the mountains for good.
George has a job in Los Angeles.
He says I'm made for Hollywood.
I was never meant for a miner’s wife.
George says I’m sure to go far.
Mother stands in her kitchen door.
George McClellan has a brand new car.

There's never a cloud in Hollywood,
just mountains of roses galore.
Mother says they’ll not smell as sweet
as the ones by her kitchen door.
Oh, the roses of California won’t bring you home.

George McClellen didn’t last three weeks
at the Chrysler factory.
The money's all gone, spent on drink,
and the rent’s left up to me.
Sister just stepped off the train,
and lord what a twang when she speaks.
Mother sent no word to me.
George McClellen didn't last three weeks.

George McClellan has up and gone,
and sister’s in an awful mess.
Baby's due in a few weeks time,
and there’s nothing to be done, I guess.
I wish I'd never seen that brand new car —
never left mother alone.
Sister and I are far from home.
George McClellan has up and gone.

No, the roses of California won’t take us home.

© 2014 - Jeni Hankins & Billy Kemp.

credits

from Heart of the Mountain, track released May 1, 2016
Jeni Hankins, vocals.
Billy Kemp, vocals, guitar.
Ed Hicken, pedal steel.

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Jeni Hankins London, UK

Jeni Hankins grew up in the coalfields of Appalachian in Southwest Virginia among a family of miners, moonshiners, and journalists. Her writing pulls the grit, gumption, and keen sense of observation out of that heritage like drawing water from her grandmother’s well.

In every song, Jeni’s “true sense of place shines through – old as the hills, but brand new at the same time.”
... more

contact / help

Contact Jeni Hankins

Streaming and
Download help

Shipping and returns

Redeem code

Report this track or account

Jeni Hankins recommends:

If you like Jeni Hankins, you may also like: