Lots of folks back east they say
Leaving home most every day
Beating the hot old dusty way
To the California line
'Cross the desert sands they roll
Getting out of that Old Dust Bowl
Think they're coming to a sugar bowl
But here's what they find
Police at the port of entry say
You're number fourteen thousand for to day
Hey, if you ain't got the Do Re Mi, boy
If you ain't got the Do Re Mi
Well, you better go back to beautiful Texas
Oklahoma, Kansas, Georgia, Tennessee
California is the garden of Eden
It's a paradise to live in or see
But believe it or not
You won't find it so hot
If you ain't got the Do Re Mi
You want to buy a home or a farm
That can't do nobody harm
Take your vacation by the mountains or sea
Don't swap your old cow for a car
You better stay right where you are
Better take this little tip from me
Well, I look through the want ads every day
The headlines in the papers always say