Amarillo - With Marie whos waiting for me there

A photo taken on the outskirts of Amarillo

What makes blogging interesting is the interaction between the writer and the people who visit your site and leave comments. This dialogue can be most enlightening and for me, has led to some warm and lasting friendships that I never thought possible.. Then there are the loyal regulars who visit my blog almost every day. The most regular visitor is a person from Amarillo who usually visits the site about 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Jakarta time. S/he never leaves a comment but I know they are there. Amarillo has always had a place in my heart since I first heard it many years ago (late 1970)in the song sung by Tony Christie. The song was written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield, referring to Amarillo, Texas. It is about a man travelling to Amarillo to find his girlfriend. The reason that Amarillo was chosen for the song was because it was the only place name that Sedaka could think of that rhymed with "willow" and "pillow".

Although written by two North-Americans about a US city, the song became famous in the United Kingdom and around Europe, and remains generally unknown in the United States. So to all my readers out there, thank you, and especially to my friend from Amarillo. I really appreciate you dropping by almost every day.

I case you have forgotten the words, here it is:

Show me the way to Amarillo

Sha la la la la la [3x]

When the day is dawning,
On a Texas Sunday Morning
How I long to be there
With Marie whos waiting for me there
Every lonely city
Where I hang my hat
Aint as half as pretty,
As where my baby's at

[Chorus:]
Is this the way to Amarillo?
Every night ive been hugging my pillow
Dreaming dreams of Amarillo
And sweet Marie who waits for me
Show me the way to Amarillo
Ive been weeping like a willow
Crying over Amarillo
And sweet Marie who waits for me

Sha la la la la la la X3
And Marie who waits for me

[Chorus:]
Theres a church bell ringing
With a song of joy that its singing
For the sweet Maria
And the guy whos coming to see her
Just beyond the highway
Theres an open plane and it keeps me going
Through the wind and rain

[Chorus:]
Is this the way to Amarillo?
Every night ive been hugging my pillow
Dreaming dreams of Amarillo
And sweet Marie who waits for me
Show me the way to Amarillo
Ive been weeping like a willow
Crying over Amarillo and sweet Marie who waits for me

Sha la la la la la la X3
And Marie who waits for me

Sha la la la la la la X3
And Marie who waits for me
[Repeat till fades]