In The Mamas & the Papas’ “California Dreamin’,” the line “All the leaves are...” ends with “brown.” The image contrasts the cold, grey New York winter with the warmth and sunshine associated with California.
John and Michelle Phillips wrote the song in 1963 while living in New York City. Michelle was missing California, and the song grew from that homesickness. The Mamas & the Papas recorded their famous version in November 1965, with Denny Doherty singing lead and Cass Elliot, John Phillips, and Michelle Phillips providing the distinctive harmonies.
The recording became a major 1960s hit, reaching No. 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1966 and topping Billboard’s year-end survey. A common mix-up is confusing this lyric with the similarly themed “A Hazy Shade of Winter,” which also mentions brown leaves. “California Dreamin’” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001.