Is This The Way To Amarillo?

For me, there are two types of songs. There are songs that I hear on the radio and like the sound of every now and then. These songs I will quickly download and after listening to them a number of times I will just as quickly tire of them. They will randomly play on my iPod and I will choose to either turn up the volume or press next according to my mood. Then there are songs that, no matter what mood I'm in, the moment I register its familiar melody a smile will spread across my face and it will feel as if I'm being swept back in time. Back to a memory with which that song is strongly associated. One such song is Is This The Way To Amarillo.

I don't know if it was a particular tradition of the primary school I went to or something done in every other primary school in the country, but upon their graduation, the Year 6s of Rendell Primary School would put on a performance for the entire school. I was a Year 5, sitting cross-legged on the floor of the hall. The lights dimmed and the music came on. I vaguely remember spotlights directed to the back entrance. Then the Year 6s entered one by one, walking, skipping, running to the front of the hall, clapping along to the music, throwing their hats in the air. It was awesome. I couldn't wait to be a Year 6 the next year and do something like that. (Foolishly, I thought we would sing the same song as our seniors, but that is a story for another post.)

The other day when I was in a reminiscing mood, I recalled this memory and I knew there was a song that came with it but I couldn't, for the life of me, remember the song. I was kept up all night trying to figure it out. Then I had the clever idea (I should have thought of it sooner, really) to ask my friends and -bingo!- one of them remembers!

It is a terribly catchy song. Already I've lost count of how many times I've hit replay. It's an old song, first released in the UK in 1971 and then re-released in 2005 when it was sang for the year's Comic Relief. As far as I can remember, Comic Relief is a charity. Once a year on Red Nose Day, people would be allowed to do silly things for the purpose of raising funds. Silly things like wearing a red nose, dying your hair red, not speaking for a whole day (in which case you would be given a small whiteboard and a marker pen for the purpose of communication), being handcuffed to a friend for a whole day, sometimes teachers would even agree to let kids throw wet sponges at them. The most I ever did was wear red to school.

It was a really popular song in 2005 so it makes sense that the Year 6s that year sang it for their graduation. I can't say the same for the song I sang for my graduation though.

Sha la la~

Sha la la~

Sha la la~

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

Chorus

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

There's a church bell ringing

Hear the song of joy that it's singing

For the sweet Maria

And the guy who's coming to see her

Just beyond the highway

There's an open plain

And it keeps me going

Through the wind and rain

Repeat chorus

Sha la la~

Sha la la~

Sha la la~