Heave and ho, boys, let her go, boys
Watch the snow falling on Yosemite
I lived and learned there, I won’t return there
The poor John Milton has borne away to sea

So goodbye California
I feel like I haven’t known you long
But it’s not the same, the rain never came
Drove us apart, I don’t know who to blame
But what’s done is done and now I must be gone

Heave and ho, belles, let her go, belles
I saw the redwoods grow for centuries
I lived and learned there, but I won’t return there
The poor Jane Austen has sailed away to sea

So goodbye California
You’ll barely look the same when I come through
But you know I can’t stay, I can’t wait for that day
Let go of the wheel while you’re slipping away
You’ll be someone new, but I’ll be changing, too

Heave and ho, boys, let her go, boys
There’ll be no more trains in Dunsmuir anymore
I lived and learned there, but I won’t return there
The poor Jack London has sailed away from shore

Heave and ho, belles, let her go, belles
Life in the sunset, it came so easily
We lived and learned there, but we won’t return there
The poor Joan Didion has borne away to sea

Heave and ho, boys, let her go, boys
When you wake up, we’ll both know where I’ll be
We lived and learned there, but we won’t return there
The poor John Steinbeck has borne away to sea

Heave and ho, belles, let her go, belles
After all, you know what we’re leaving for
We live and learn, still, and we won’t return ‘til
This maiden voyage has swept upon the shore
This maiden voyage won’t sail away no more