Lyrics:

MY BABY LOVES TO TRAVEL. SHE LOVES TO CROSS THE COUNTY LINE.

MY BABY LOVES THE COUNTRY. RICE FIELDS AND HOGS SUIT HER JUST FINE.

BUT MY BABY'S GONE TO GRIDLEY. SHE'S CRUISIN' HIGHWAY 99.

MY BABY, SHE LOVES GRIDLEY. SHE FEELS CLOSER TO HER ROOTS.

SHE'S GOT A GUY NAMED BOBBY. AND BOBBY CALLS MY BABY "CUTES".

(OH YES SHE DOES)

MY BABY SAID SHE WENT TO GRIDLEY. SO SHE COULD SEE THE SUTTER BUTTES.

MY BABY AND I WERE DREAMIN', BACK WHEN WE WENT TO CHICO STATE.

WE'D VISIT TABLE MOUNTAIN

AND WE COULD PICTURE OUR ESTATE.

BUT NOW MY BABY - SHE'S GONE TO GRIDLEY, AND I CAN'T EVEN GET A DATE.

YOU KNOW WE USED TO GO TO FORBESTOWN. WE'D DO SOME WALKING IF WE'D LIKE.

(OH YES WE'D WALK)

IN SUMMER WE'D CLIMB LASSEN. SOMETIMES WE'D GO WITH SUE AND MIKE.

BUT WHEN MY BABY WENT TO GRIDLEY, THE NOTE SHE LEFT SAID "TAKE A HIKE!"

YOU KNOW WE USED TO SHOP AT K-MART. THE BLUE LIGHT SPECIALS CAUGHT HER EYE.

SWEAT SOCKS FOR A DOLLAR. GOOD DEALS WOULD MAKE MY BABY CRY.

(OH THOSE BLUE LIGHT SPECIALS)

BUT WHEN MY BABY WENT TO GRIDLEY, SHE DIDN'T STOP TO MAKE A GOODBYE.

SO NOW I LOST MY BABY. SHE WENT AWAY AGAINST MY WILL.

(WHAT CAN I TELL YOU)

SHE GAVE MY PRIDE A BEATING, AND I HAVE NOT RECOVERED STILL.

YOU SEE MY BABY, SHE'S GONE TO GRIDLEY, AND I'M ALONE IN OROVILLE.

This song was sung by Steve Herman, who was a teacher at Central School in Oroville, California. It was written around 1983 by he and his class. Steve's "unique' voice was backed by a gruff sounding blues/rock guitar, a tinkling piano and a thumping drum. The flip side of the 45 was "THIS IS OROVILLE" that was done to the tune of "Every Breath You Take". Steve's location has been lost in the annals of time! (This may have been such a "highlight" of his life that he may wish to forget, so he may be in hiding!) (Steve! If you see this, E-mail me! We want to know if you want to do a sequal!)

WEBSITE DEDICATION:

This website is dedicated to SHARRON KUGEL - carpooler extraordinaire! (and her daughter Kandy) for first bringing this "classic" song to my attention and by letting me borrow the 45 way back in September 1988!

Note: The reason I like this song is because it mentions a lot of places that no longer exist here in Northern California (even Oroville's K-Mart that no longer exists!) Also, the song is very unique. Anyone hearing it will never forget it.

WEB SITE UPDATE! - APRIL 17, 2001: Well, the impossible has happened! Talk about a fluke! We put this web site out with the very slim hope that Steve Herman would see it and respond! Well, he has! Yesterday he e-mailed me and said he was shocked when he found the web site featuring a song he had done 15 years ago. Boy, was I shocked that he found it! But very glad! To quote him, "Your web site is wonderful. Thanks!" He said that he has been in Europe for a few years but is now back teaching at Central School.

I could not wait to ask him some questions:

1. DID YOU, OR THE CLASS WRITE THE SONG?

A- I wrote the song.

2. WHERE AND WHEN WAS IT RECORDED?

A- It was recorded in April 1987 at the A&M studios in Hollywood. Don Drowty, who produced the song, had some connections there. It was awesome; PINK FLOYD was in the neighboring studio (studio A) cutting an album!

3. DID YOU DO IT FOR FUND RAISING OR WHAT WAS THE REASON?

A- I did it for fun. I didn't expect to make a profit, but I did. Three years ago I had a CD made and marketed some cassettes for a fund raiser at school. The darn things still sell. Amazing.

4. WHO WAS THE "BABY" WHO IT WAS WRITTEN ABOUT? A LONG LOST LOVE?

A- Just kidding around.....all through the song! No reality to be had....Well, except for those cheap sweat socks at K-Mart!

5. WHO'S THE BABY IN THE PICTURE ON THE 45 COVER?

A- That was Don Drowty's son. He is 16 now!? (Gee, I'm getting old.)

Steve advises that he lives in Oroville and did write a sequal to this song called "My Girl Has Gone To Chico". Sadly, he has not ever recorded a version of this song. Steve advises that he wrote "Gridley" for a Christmas show in 1983.

Needless to say, I am gratified that Steve found the web site and appreciates it. I find it interesting that he found the site just at the time that K-Mart is reviving it's BLUE LIGHT SPECIALS!

WEB SITE UPDATE! - MAY 31, 2006: This website crashed several years ago and I just never got around to rebuilding it. Until today, when I received a very nice e-mail from Steve Herman, wondering if I still remembered him and his song. How could anybody forget this song? So here's the website once again! I even found all of the lost animation in a dusty old drawer (and you wouldn't believe how hard they were to catch!)

June 30, 2014: Due to some technical issues several years ago, this site went down again. But once again this web site has been reborn. I guess you just can't keep a site about an obscure, 30 year old song down!