[Intro]
1, 2, 1-2-3

[Hook]
Rooming house on Venice Beach
Rooming house on Venice Beach

[Verse 1]
It was a rooming house on Venice Beach
Nice and cheap
A radiator and a sagging bed
On which to sleep
I didn't lock it
Who would want my cheap guitar?
And that t-shirt in those paper bags
Naw, naw
The ancient world was in my reach
From my rooming house on Venice Beach

[Refrain]
It was rough, rough, rough
With ancient, rustic hippie stuff
It was cheap, cheap, cheap
Nowadays, I hear that rents are steep
It was eerie, eerie, eerie
Followers of Watts and Leary
You could walk, walk, walk
To Marina Del Rey by the dock
Oh, the ancient world was in my reach
From my rooming house on Venice Beach
[Hook]

[Verse 2]
It was a rooming house on Venice Beach
About half a block
To the ancient sea which I could reach
With half a walk
The ancient weird guy in his toga
Staff in hand
The ancient bearded guy doing yoga
On the sand
Oh, the ancient world was in my reach
From my rooming house on Venice Beach

[Refrain]
It was cheap, cheap, cheap
Nowadays, I hear that rents are steep
It was rough, rough, rough
With ancient, rustic hippie stuff
It was wild, wild, wild
You're never gonna call it mild
Hip, hip
I could move and not make a second trip
The ancient world was in my reach
From my rooming house on Venice Beach
[Hook]

[Verse 3]
It was a rooming house on Venice Beach
All screwed up
Half a block from the ancient drunk guys
Passing the cup
Half a block from the bearded weird guys
Singing flat
Half a block from the weirdo weird guys
Passing the hat
And the ancient world was in my reach
From my rooming house on Venice Beach

[Hook]

[Verse 4]
It was a rooming house on Venice Beach
Where I was
Half a block, I love that place
Just because
Well, I didn't want it
Who would want my bag of crap?
So I never locked the old screen door
I just let it flap
Oh, the ancient world was in my reach
From my rooming house on Venice Beach
[Refrain]
It was rough, rough, rough
With ancient, rustic hippie stuff
It was eerie, eerie, eerie
Followers of Watts and Leary
It was wild and free
And that appealed to me
It was hip, hip, hip
I could move and not make a second trip
The ancient world was in my reach
From my rooming house on Venice Beach

[Hook]