The meaning of "Ventura Highway" is about the dreamy, idealistic California experience and the feeling of escape and adventure, inspired by a childhood memory of the band's singer, Dewey Bunnell. The "alligator lizards in the air" are a specific reference to long, winding clouds he saw as a child after his family's car broke down near Lompoc, California. While named after a sign he saw for Ventura, the song isn't about the actual Ventura Freeway, but rather a broader symbol of the California dre

The Mamas & The Papas’ “California Dreamin’” Lyrics Meaning - Song Meanings and Facts