Jan And Dean
Miscellaneous
Dead Man's Curve
I was cruisin' in my Stingray late one night,
When an XKE pulled up on the right
He rolled down the window of his shiny new Jag,
And challenged me then and there to a drag

I said "You're on buddy -- my mill's running fine,
Let's come off the line now at Sunset and Vine
But I'll go you one better, if you've got the nerve,
Let's race all the way -- to Dead Man's Curve"

(Dead Man's Curve) is no place to play
(Dead Man's Curve) you'd best keep away
(Dead Man's Curve) I can hear 'em say:
"Won't come back from Dead Man's Curve"

The street was deserted late Friday night;
We were buggin' each other while we sat out the light
We both popped the clutch when the light turned green,
You shoulda heard the whine from my screamin' machine!

I flew past La Brea, Schwab's and Crescent Heights,
And all the Jag could see were my six taillights
He passed me at Doheny then I started to swerve,
But I pulled her out and there we were - at Dead Man's Curve

(Dead Man's Curve) is no place to play
(Dead Man's Curve... [sounds of skids and crashes] )

(Spoken): "Well, the last thing I remember, Doc,
I started to swerve
And then I saw the Jag slide into the curve
I know I'll never forget that horrible sight,
I guess I found out for myself that everyone was right"

Won't come back from Dead Man's Curve...

(Dead Man's Curve) is no place to play
(Dead Man's Curve) you'd best keep away
(Dead Man's Curve) I can hear 'em say:
"Won't come back from Dead Man's Curve"

(Dead Man's Curve) is no place to play
(Dead Man's Curve) you'd best keep away
(Dead Man's Curve) I can hear 'em say:
"Won't come back from Dead Man's Curve" (fade)

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Notes from this Californian ([email protected]): This song's ill-fated drag
race takes place along L.A.'s famed Sunset Boulevard. "Vine," "La Brea,"
"Crescent Heights" and "Doheny" are cross streets; "Schwab's" is the
legendary drug-store-with-soda-fountain where movie stars hung out (since
torn down; but nicely depicted in the 1950 film "Sunset Boulevard"). Jan
Berry's (of Jan & Dean) near-fatal car crash (April 1966) ironically happened
on Sunset Boulevard, but further west than the locations mentioned in this
song; near Whittier Drive in Beverly Hills.