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Credits

PERFORMING ARTISTS
Cass Elliot
Cass Elliot
Vocals
Michelle Phillips
Michelle Phillips
Vocals
Dennis Doherty
Dennis Doherty
Vocals
Eric Hord
Eric Hord
Guitar
Gary Coleman
Gary Coleman
Percussion
Hal Blaine
Hal Blaine
Drums
Jim Horn
Jim Horn
Flute
Joe Osborn
Joe Osborn
Bass Guitar
John Phillips
John Phillips
Guitar
Larry Knechtel
Larry Knechtel
Keyboards
P.F. Sloan
P.F. Sloan
Guitar
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
John Phillips
John Phillips
Songwriter
Michelle Phillips
Michelle Phillips
Songwriter
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
Lou Adler
Lou Adler
Producer

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
John and Mitchy were gettin' kind of itchy
Just to leave their folk music behind
Zal and Denny workin' for a penny
Tryin' to get a fish on the line
[Verse 2]
In a coffee house, Sebastian sat
And after every number, they'd pass the hat
McGuinn and McGuire just a-gettin' higher in L.A.
You know where that's at
[Chorus]
And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass
[Verse 3]
Zal, he said, "Denny
You know there aren't many
Who can sing a song the way that you do
Let's go south"
Danny said, "Zally
Golly! Don't you think that I wish
I could play guitar like you"
[Verse 4]
Zal, Danny 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
[Chorus]
And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass
[Verse 5]
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 her to New York right away
[Verse 6]
When Danny 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
[Chorus]
And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass
[Verse 7]
Mugwumps, high jumps
Low 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
[Verse 8]
Sebastian and Zal formed the Spoonful
Michelle, John and Danny gettin' very tuneful
McGuinn and McGuire just a-catchin' fire in L.A.
You know where that's at
[Chorus]
And everybody's gettin' fat except Mama Cass
[Verse 9]
Broke, busted, disgusted
Agents can't be trusted
And Mitchy 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
[Verse 10]
Greasin' on American Express cards
Tent's low rent, but keepin' out the heat's hard
Duffy's good vibrations and our imaginations
Can't go on indefinitely
And California dreamin' is becomin' a reality
Written by: John Phillips, Michelle Phillips
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