Mae Jean Goes to Hollywood
The Byrds · Other Songs - The Byrds
You said that you would wing your way to fortune and fame
Now I've given everything to keep you warm and clean
I didn't bat an eye when you changed your name
I'm getting tired of hearing people
Call you someone else
I'm getting used to seeing you go in the morning
And even supper by myself
Now this Hollywood producer has offered you the world
He lets you drive his sporty new Camaro
Wonder just how many girls he's told that story to
How many dreams have gone away in sorrow
I'm getting tired of biting my nails
And pumping gasoline
I'm getting tired of waiting for you
To figure out why this city is unclean
Mae Jean run back home with me
And I'll go back to working on your daddy's farm
Mae Jean run back home with me
This wicked cities bound to do us harm
Now all this time I helped you with your promising career
I never said one word about your singing
I just want to let you know that you'll still be my star
If you say goodbye to Hollywood and do your singing in the shower
Mae Jean run back home with me
Back to where the air is clean and free
May Jean run back home with me
If this city doesn't get us first it's gonna sink into the sea
About Mae Jean Goes to Hollywood
The Byrds' "Mae Jean Goes to Hollywood" stands as a pivotal moment in their transition from folk-rock to psychedelic rock, marking a significant shift in their sonic identity during the early 1960s. Recorded with a distinctive, swirling guitar tone and a driving rhythm section, the track exemplifies the band's evolving ability to blend country influences with emerging psychedelic textures. As a standalone recording, it captures the group's growing confidence in crafting complex arrangements that moved beyond their earlier Dylan covers, establishing a new direction for their discography. The song remains a notable example of the era's shifting musical landscape, reflecting the Byrds' role in pioneering the sound that would define the mid-60s rock explosion. Its enduring appeal lies in its unique fusion of styles and its place within the band's broader catalog of innovative recordings.