Lyrics … Well, when you're down on your luck and you ain't got a buck, in London you're a goner. Even London Bridge has fallen down and moved to Arizona; now I know why. And I'll substantiate the rumor that the English sense of humor is drier than the Texas sand. You can put up your dukes, and you can bet your boots, that I'm leavin' just as fast as I can. … I want to go home with the armadillo. Good country music from Amarillo and Abilene. The friendliest people and the prettiest women you've ever seen. … Well it's cold over here and I swear, I wish they'd turn the heat on. And where in the world is that English girl, I promised I would meet on the third floor? And of the whole damn lot, the only friend I got, is a smoke and a cheap guitar. My mind keeps roamin', my heart keeps longin' to be home in a Texas bar. … I want to go home with the armadillo. Good country music from Amarillo and Abilene. The friendliest people and the prettiest women you've ever seen. … Well, I decided that I'd get my cowboy hat and go down to Marble Arch Station. 'Cause when a Texan fancies he'll take his chances, chances will be taken - that's for sure. And them Limey eyes, they were eyein' the prize that some people call manly footwear. They said you're from down South, and when you open your mouth, you always seem to put your foot there.
When Gary Nunn traveled to London for the first time, he realized just how different it was from his home in Austin, Texas. He had spent his time in the UK sleeping in his brother’s flat, with barely any money to spend, no heater and nowhere to go. On one of these miserable heatless days, he took out his guitar and wrote a song about the hardships he faced in London.
"Well, when you're down on your luck, and you ain't got a buck, in London you're a goner"
He hadn’t written many songs before this one, but this trip was the catalyst for him to begin taking songwritings seriously. When he was stood up by a local woman, he recounted:
“Where in the world is that English girl I promised to meet on the third floor?”
In the same verse, he admits:
“My mind keeps roamin’ my heart keeps longin’ to be home in a Texas bar”.
While the whole song is about his Texan pride and the love he has for his home in Austin, the chorus is the most culturally significant.
"I want to go home with the armadillo. Good country music from Amarillo and Abilene. The friendliest people and prettiest women you've ever seen"
“Armadillo” in the chorus is a word with a lot of cultural meaning. It was a Texan music hall and beer garden, quoted of being “the renaissance that made the city (Austin) a nationally recognized music capitol“. The Armadillo provided a space for new artists to find their audience, and for famous musicians to hold their shows. Frank Zappa, the Pointer Sisters, Bruce Springsteen, and members of the Grateful Dead are just a few. Blues, rock, jazz, folk, and country music were the most common genres featured at the venue, but it was also known to mix genres and cultures from all over the state.
The word “Armadillo” also references that Armadillos are a significant part of Texan culture because they were often victims of high speed cars on highways. These are known to be gentle, kindhearted, and amicable creatures, possibly tying into the notion of “Southern Charm”.
Nunn name drops Armarillo and Albilene, which are both cities in Texas that are located north of Austin and west towards the border. This line can reference the music that may have originated from the artists from these specific cities, and/or emphasizes just how wide the range of genres and cultures that come together at the Armadillo music hall. It is his way of saying “I listen to Texan music from all over!”
The chorus alludes to one message: “everything is better in Texas, and anywhere else is bad in comparison”. The bars are more fun, the people are friendlier, Texans know how to party.
At the end of the song, he tells the audience about when he wore a cowboy hat in the Marble Arch Station. This was a proud display of Texan pride and homage, as Nunn explains:
`‘Cause when a Texan fancies he’ll take his chances, chances will be taken- that's for sure”.
To me, this further demonstrates the individualism and “lone star” mentality many Texans hold themselves to. They are unafraid of judgement, do not need others opinions, and are brave for being authentically themselves
When Nunn came back to Texas to record the album ¡Viva Terlingua!, his friend Jerry Jeff Walker insisted on playing with him. This duet happened with no prior rehearsal, on its official recording to be released on the album. They performed in front of a crowd in Luckenbach, with Walker singing the harmonies as Nunn sang.
It was a very successful performance, as heard by the roaring applause that ends the recording. The song was supposed to end around the five minute mark, but Nunn sang the chorus to humor the enthusiastic audience. The song became instantly popular by its release because of its homage to Texan pride.
It was featured as the theme song of a show called Austin City Limits, which is one of the longest running music series of all time. To me, this is the very essence of Texan pride and what they believe themselves to be- a friendly, party going, happy bunch that loves their state. The song became an instant hit and a mantra for Texan pride.
Sources
“Armadillo World Headquarters.” TSHA, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/armadillo-world-headquarters.
Gary Nunn With Jerry Jeff Walker on “London Homesick Blues”. (n.d.). Country Thang Daily. https://www.countrythangdaily.com/gary-nunn-jeff-walker/
Robert W. Roddis, Esq. (2008, August 26). Gary P Nunn w/ Jerry Jeff Walker – London Homesick Blues 1991 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4Ppc3jz3GE
Texas Archive of the Moving Image. (2022, June 13). Austin City Limits Show Open 1986 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXH1HFwGn5s
