The Little Old Lady from Pasadena
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"The Little Old Lady from Pasadena" is a song written by Don Altfeld, Jan Berry and Roger Christian, and recorded by 1960s American pop singers, Jan and Dean. The song reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1964. Jan and Dean were known for their music of the 1960s surf era with songs like "Dead Man's Curve" and "Surf City". "The Little Old Lady from Pasadena" was an imaginary icon of the period based on the local folklore premise that Pasadena was a city with one of the largest death rates in the nation.
[edit] Premise of the song
Many elderly couples retired to Pasadena in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s as refugees from the Dust Bowl, refugees of the Great Depression, refugees of post-World War II. After a time the husband died, and the widow was left with the home. But in the garage would be the man’s car, that in most cases, she didn’t drive—an old Buick Roadmaster, or a 50-some-odd Cadillac, a vintage Ford, an old Packard, Studebaker, De Soto, La Salle. Used car salesmen were often spoofed as saying the previous owner was "a little old lady from Pasadena who only drove it to church on Sundays," thus suggesting the car had been only gently used.
From this premise Jan and Dean sang a song dedicated to that little old lady from Pasadena who, in the case of this tune, has a hot "Super Stock Dodge" in her garage. The twist: unlike the usual story, this little old lady not only drives the hot car, but is a street racer who can't be beat.
The little old lady on the album cover was portrayed by Kathryn Minner who starred in one of the largest Dodge commercial campaigns of the sixties with her famous tag line: “Put a Dodge in your garage, honey!”
Little Old Lady From Pasadena®
(Don Altfeld — Jan Berry — Roger Christian)
Jan & Dean
Time: 3:01
© 1964 Screen Gems-EMI Music, Inc. (BMI)
Music written by Jan Berry
Arranged and Produced by Jan Berry for Screen Gems, Inc.
Liberty Records Single #55704
Peaked at Number 3 on the Billboard pop charts (Number 5 on the Cash Box charts)
LYRICS
INTRO:
It’s the Little Old Lady from Pasadena!
VERSE:
The Little Old Lady From Pasadena
(Go Granny, Go Granny, Go Granny Go)
Has a pretty little flower bed of white gardenias
(Go Granny, Go Granny, Go Granny Go)
But parked in her rickety old garage
There’s a brand new shiny red Super Stock Dodge
CHORUS:
And everybody’s sayin’ that there’s nobody meaner
Than the Little Old Lady from Pasadena
(She drives real fast and she drives real hard)
She’s the terror of Colorado Boulevard
It’s The Little Old Lady From Pasadena!
VERSE:
If you see her on the street don’t try to choose her
(Go Granny, Go Granny, Go Granny Go)
You might drive a goer but you’ll never lose her
(Go Granny, Go Granny, Go Granny Go)
Well she’s gonna get a ticket now sooner or later
’Cause she can’t keep her foot off the accelerator!
CHORUS:
And everybody’s sayin’ that there’s nobody meaner
Than the Little Old Lady from Pasadena
(She drives real fast and she drives real hard)
She’s the terror of Colorado Boulevard
It’s The Little Old Lady From Pasadena!
INSTRUMENTAL BREAK
VERSE:
The guys come to race her from miles around
But she’ll give ’em a length, then she’ll shut ’em down!
CHORUS:
And everybody’s sayin’ that there’s nobody meaner
Than the Little Old Lady from Pasadena
(She drives real fast and she drives real hard)
She’s the terror of Colorado Boulevard
Go Granny Go Granny, Go Granny, Go!
(Come on Granny, Go!)
Go Granny, Go Granny, Go Granny, Go!
(Come on Granny, Go!)
“The Little Old Lady from Pasadena”® is a federal trademark of Don Altfeld and is administered by gogrannygo.com.
The song was later revised on an episode of Animaniacs where Slappy Squirrel was the little old lady driving around Pasadena.
