What makes that song, I think, is how stark it is.
I'm looking California, And feeling Minnesota...
Everybody is influenced by someone.
Any way that you can get the end result is valid, whatever it takes.
My brother brought home 'At San Quentin' when I was about 7, and we played it over and over again.
They always say that the entertainment and restaurant industries are the only businesses that don't sink during a depression or a recession. I've done both, and I recommend to anyone who wants to be a rock star, if that doesn't pan out, become a cook.