(Is This the Way to) Amarillo
"(Is This the Way to) Amarillo" is a song written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield. It is about a man traveling to Amarillo, Texas, to find his girlfriend Marie.
"(Is This the Way to) Amarillo"
"Love Is a Friend of Mine"
November 1971
1971
3:35
Written by two Americans with a strong country-western lyrical theme, the song was first released in Europe, where it has become much more popular than in the composers' native country, with a big-band/orchestral pop arrangement sung by Tony Christie. Christie's version was a major hit in Europe and a modest success in his native United Kingdom upon its release, then became even more popular in the mid-2000s when the song was reissued. As Christie's version failed to make a major impact in the U.S., Sedaka released his own recording of the song in 1977, which narrowly missed the top 40 but was an easy listening hit in the U.S. and Canada.
Background[edit]
The song is based on a rhythmic feel Sedaka borrowed from "Hitchin' a Ride" by Vanity Fare.[1] The song was originally to be titled "Is This the Way to Pensacola" referring to Pensacola, Florida, but Sedaka felt that Amarillo worked better than Pensacola.[2]
"Amarillo"
"(Is This the Way to) The World Cup"
Parody versions[edit]
In 2003, Gala Bingo ran a series of adverts with a jingle based on the tune of "Is This The Way to Amarillo?".
In April 2020, British comedian Paddy McGuinness tweeted a video of him singing a parody version referring to Dominic Cummings, special political adviser to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, breaking the rules of the UK's COVID-19 pandemic lockdown rules when he travelled from his home in London to his father's home in Durham, later taking a day trip to Barnard Castle. The lyrics of the song were changed to "Is this the way to Barnard Castle? Where sweet Mary waits for me."[48]
In July 2023, Newcastle based recording artist Junior Turner created A version of the song called Is this the way to Europe to commemorate Newcastle United FC making it into the Champions League.
Usage in football[edit]
Other than the 2006 version "(Is This the Way to) The World Cup" which supported the England football team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the original version has been adopted as an unofficial anthem of Scottish football club Falkirk FC, ever since the mid-1990s. It is played over the stadium sound system in celebration whenever Falkirk scores a goal, and at the start and end of all matches.