April 22nd 2005

Is This The Way To Amarillo (With Lyrics)

One thing that's really really weird here, is that the number one song in England right now is Tony Christie's (written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield) "Is This The Way To Amarillo". It was originally released over 30 years ago, but the comedian Peter Kay brought the song back into the charts with a hilarious video that came out on Red Nose Day for Comic Relief in March.

Why this is so strange for me is because I do know the way to Amarillo. I think I'm the only person here in England who was actually born there. Ha, ha! This morning on the GMTV morning show, they were interviewing the mayor of Amarillo, Texas! This is so funny. Dave and I figure there will be some English tourists going there thinking that they'll be visiting this cool hip touristy place. I'm beginning to feel sorry for them if they make the trek all the way there. It's not like they can 'just go to Disney World' or something if things don't quite reach up to their expectations. IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, PEOPLE! Then again, if you're into The Old West and can picture a time when cowboys were riding rough through the desert, then maybe it is a good place to visit. Besides, look at all the American tourists in England..the English find it pretty funny sometimes how fascinated we are with their history, so there you go. Maybe it's the 'things are always greener' syndrome.

Dave and I thought maybe we should go to Amarillo and open an English pub for all the tourists going there from England. Dave could be the English host and I could be the Amarillo born hostess. We could play a variety of English music like The Beatles, David Bowie and The Clash covers as well as Texan style music by such artists as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Marcia Ball and Willie Nelson. And of course to end the night, we would all do a sing along of 'Is This The Way to Amarillo'. What do you think? Sound like a good plan for us? Ha, ha. I don't think we'll be going there anytime soon. But for those who are, have fun!

(And just to clear up any confusion of our demographics, I was born in Amarillo, but grew up in New England and as of two years ago am now residing in Oxford, England! Dave is originally from Pompey but has lived in Brighton, a few other places in England and is now here.)

A few years ago when I was working in New Hampshire, we had a sales rep in Texas and I had asked him if he ever goes to Amarillo to send me a tumbleweed. And he did. I couldn't believe it. You should have seen the guy in shipping..he had the funniest look on his face as he handed me the big brown box that had just been sent via UPS. It was so light, too. I looked in and there it was. An Amarillo tumbleweed. Wherever you are, thanks big Ed! One of the best gifts I've ever been given.

Here are the lyrics to 'Is This The Way To Amarillo':

Sha la la lala lalala
Sha la la lala lalala
Sha la la lala lalala

When the day is dawning on a Texas Sunday morning
how I long to be there
with Marie who's waiting for me there
every lonely city where I hang my hat
ain't as half as pretty as where my baby's at

Is this the way to Amarillo
every night I've been hugging my pillow
dreaming dreams of Amarilloand sweet Marie who waits for me
show me the way to Amarillo
I've been weeping like a willow
crying over Amarillo
and sweet Marie who waits for me

Sha la la lala lalala Sha la la lala lalala
Sha la la lala lalala and Marie who waits for me

There's a church bell ringing
hear the song of joy that it's singing
for the sweet Mariaand the guy who's coming to see her
just beyong the highway, there's an open plain
and it keeps me going through the wind and rain

Is this the way to Amarillo
every night I've been hugging my pillow
dreaming dreams of Amarillo and sweet Marie who waits for me
show me the way to Amarillo
I've been weeping like a willow
crying over Amarillo
and sweet Marie who waits for me

Sha la la lala lalala Sha la la lala lalala
Sha la la lala lalala and Marie who waits for me