"All the Gold in California" is a song written by

Larry Gatlin Larry Wayne Gatlin (born May 2, 1948) is an American country and Southern gospel singer and songwriter. As part of a trio with his younger brothers Steve and Rudy, he achieved considerable success within the country music genre, performing on 3 ...

, and recorded by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

group Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers Band. It was released in August 1979 as the first single from the album ''Straight Ahead''. The song was the first of two number one singles for Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers Band. The single stayed at number one for two weeks and spent a total of ten weeks on the chart.

Content

This song was written while Larry was in a traffic jam in Los Angeles; the song goes on to warn the listener that all the gold in the state "is in a bank in the middle of

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Bev ...

in somebody else's name" and that attempting to make it big in California carries a risk of failure that could personally devastate one's resolve. On January 19, 1985, Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers Band sang the song at the nationally televised 50th Presidential Inaugural Gala, the day before the second inauguration of

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

Chart performance

References

1979 singles 1979 songs Larry Gatlin songs Songs about Los Angeles Columbia Records singles Songs written by Larry Gatlin Songs about California {{1970s-country-song-stub