California Sober
intermediate
California Sober
Billy Strings
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Jam Along
Chord Chart
Verse
GG
GG
GG
GG
CC
CC
GG
GG
GG
GG
GG
GG
AA
AA
DD
DD
GG
GG
GG
GG
CC
CC
GG
GG
CC
CC
GG
EmEm
AA
DD
GG
GG
Chorus
GG
GG
GG
GG
CC
CC
GG
GG
CC
CC
GG
EmEm
AA
DD
GG
GG
Chords used:
A
C
D
Em
G
Lyrics
Well I used to like to ramble with my good-time friends and neighbors
now I find I’d rather lie awake in bed
And I don’t get to acting mean when I keep my buzzes clean
and keep the hard stuff and the whiskey from my head
Well I guess that’s just the trouble when you’re always seeing double
and the lines are getting twice as hard to see
I’ve had years I don’t recall but I’m told I had a ball
At least someone did who looked a lot like me
Well I’m California sober as they say
Lately I can find no other way
I can’t stay out and party like I did back in the day
So I’m California sober as they say
I learned out in the hills they have pills to get their thrills
and they love their liquor down in New Orleans
Maybe for a New York minute Sugarcane will fit the bill
But in no time flat you’re out of what you need
The old crew don’t get together anymore these days much ever
After some went straight and some went straight to jail
Now they’re busy posting vids and just trying to raise their kids
Instead of raising holy hell and posting bail
I was California Sober till I thought the world was over
now I’m sitting on the roadside once again
And when that wagon passes by, I don’t even bat an eye
because the devil on my shoulder always wins
Because the devil on my shoulder always winsDemo Videos
About This Song
California Sober is a Billy Strings original from his 2019 album Home, representing the new generation of progressive bluegrass songwriting. The song's honest, introspective lyrics and contemporary feel have made it a favorite among younger bluegrass musicians, though it's less common at traditional jams.