I Love L.A.

Lore & Background

After releasing Born Again in 1979, Randy Newman spent four years relaxing at home with his family, joking that the gardener had to water around him as he lounged by the pool. To break this cycle, he rented a studio in Los Angeles in 1983 without telephones to avoid distractions. The song was recorded with producers Lenny Waronker and Russ Titelman, featuring groove instrumentation by members of Toto and rhythm guitar by Waddy Wachtel. The themes of delusion and hedonism found in Trouble in Paradise were shaped by Newman's observations of Los Angeles culture.

Reader's Guide

To understand the song's depth, listeners must recognize its sardonic nature, where Newman mocks the character's arrogance while highlighting Los Angeles' dark underbelly. Nicholas Pell of LA Weekly noted that the Santa Ana winds are actually unpleasant, blowing furniture around with hot dry weather, and the four streets listed at the end were considered "must avoid" in 1983 due to gang violence. Despite this, Newman described the lyrics as ambiguous, confessing an affection for his city's "ignorance," stating, "The open car and the redhead, the Beach Boys... that sounds really good to me."

The music video, starring Newman and model Laura Howard, depicts them driving a red 1955 Buick Super convertible through Echo Park, Disneyland, and Century City. While initially a flop on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching only #110 on the Bubbling Under chart in April 1983, the song gained worldwide exposure during the 1984 Summer Olympics via a Nike ambush marketing campaign featuring athletes Mary Decker and Carl Lewis.