Born in East L.A. (song)
"Born in East L.A." is a single by Cheech & Chong. It is a parody of Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A.", with references to the song "I Love L.A." by Randy Newman.
| "Born in East L.A." | |
|---|---|
| Single by Cheech & Chong | |
| from the album Get Out of My Room | |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Songwriter(s) | Cheech Marin[1] |
Written by Cheech Marin, the song's lyrics deal with a Mexican-American man from East Los Angeles who is mistaken for an undocumented immigrant and deported. The song served as the basis for the film of the same name, directed by Marin.
Background
Cheech Marin wrote the song without his comedy partner Tommy Chong, although Chong was credited for the song's writing on the album and single.[1] Chong was subsequently insulted when Marin asked him to perform backup vocals on the song, and it was recorded without Chong.[1] It is one of only two Cheech & Chong songs written solely by one member of the duo and not in collaboration, the other being Tommy Chong's "Up in Smoke".[1]
Music video
A music video for the song was produced and appeared in the home video release Get Out of My Room.[2] The video featured appearances from Cassandra Peterson as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, Jan-Michael Vincent, Ángel Ramírez and Sal Lopez.
Reception
The song was released as Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." tour was ending, missing the Top 40.[3] The subsequently released music video became popular.[4]
Charts
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian (Kent Music Report) | 53[5] |
Film
The song served as the basis for the film Born in East L.A., directed by Cheech Marin, and starring Cheech Marin, Paul Rodriguez, Daniel Stern, Kamala Lopez-Dawson, Jan-Michael Vincent and Lupe Ontiveros. The film debuted well in its first week but dropped by 40% in its second week at the box office.[6]
See also
- Death Valley Days, a show which featured then actor Ronald Reagan, who the protagonist of the song confuses for John Wayne when asked who the President is.
References
- Chong, T. (2008). Cheech & Chong: The Unauthorized Autobiography. Gallery Books. ISBN 9781416959465.
- Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. 2002-10-05. ISSN 0006-2510.
- Marsh, D. (2003). Bruce Springsteen: Two Hearts, the Story. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781135880484.
- Baugh, S.L. (2012). Latino American Cinema: An Encyclopedia of Movies, Stars, Concepts, and Trends. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9780313380372.
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 60. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- "Weekend Box Office". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 16, 2013.