"California" is a song written by Joni Mitchell that first appeared on her 1971 album Blue. It was also released as the second single from the album, as a follow-up to "Carey." Mitchell wrote "California" while living in France but longing for the creative climate she had experienced in California. In the song she expresses the depth of her longing for California by singing that if she was back in California she would even be willing to kiss a policeman, despite considering herself a member of the counterculture. Like "Carey", "California" takes the form of a travelogue and uses a stream of consciousness narrative technique. Pitchfork critic Jessica Hopper describes both songs as "how-Joni-got-her-groove-back ditties". The lyrics tell of her time in France, a trip she took to Spain and an