“Is this the way to Amarillo? Every night I’ve been hugging my pillow.” So goes a song that wasn’t made in Texas, and never appeared on the Grand Ole Opry. Instead, it’s an anthem you’re more likely to hear in an English soccer stadium. It’s kind of like the British equivalent of “We Will Rock You” or “Eye of the Tiger” in American stadiums. It’s English singer Tony Christie’s 1971 hit “(Is This the Way to) Amarillo.”
As you might imagine, ‘Amarillo’ gets quite the workout every four years during the World Cup – especially on a recent weekday when England played Colombia in the tournament’s round of 16.
To find out how much English people might know about the city of Amarillo, Texas Standard Producer Michael Marks scouted out a north Austin bar called Mr. Tramps. There, during England’s match last week against Belgium, he found a few English supporters all decked out in bright red England jerseys.
Max Marshall knows the song ‘Amarillo’ quite well.
“I’m not one to brag, but I was in the church choir,” Marshall says.
But Marshall and his friends found that when it comes knowing about the city of Amarillo, they’re left guessing. Marks quizzed them on some Amarillo trivia, but the Brits only came out 1-for-3.
“It appears they know ‘The Way to Amarillo’ but not much else,” Marks says.
Written by Kevin Wheeler.