Ventura Highway, track 14 on the album Here & Now by America (1972-11-04)

It’s unsure whether a connection between this lyric and the famous Prince song (which was released 12 years after “Ventura Highway”) exists, but at least two journalists from The San Diego Union and the Post-Tribune wrote that Prince got the phrase “Purple Rain” from here.

Asked to explain the phrase “purple rain” in “Ventura Highway,” Gerry Beckley responded: “You got me.”