{"id":161,"date":"2023-01-30T16:35:26","date_gmt":"2023-01-30T16:35:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/?p=161"},"modified":"2023-02-04T12:46:37","modified_gmt":"2023-02-04T17:46:37","slug":"london-homesick-blues-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/2023\/01\/30\/london-homesick-blues-draft\/","title":{"rendered":"London Homesick Blues"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Gary P Nunn w\/ Jerry Jeff Walker - London Homesick Blues 1991\" width=\"1333\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/g4Ppc3jz3GE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption><em>A performance by Gary P Nunn and Jerry Jeff Walker of &#8220;London Homesick Blues&#8221;<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-verse has-text-align-center\"><strong>Lyrics\n<\/strong>\n<em>\u2026 Well, when you're down on your luck\nand you ain't got a buck,\nin London you're a goner.\nEven London Bridge has fallen down\nand moved to Arizona;\nnow I know why.\nAnd I'll substantiate the rumor\nthat the English sense of humor\nis drier than the Texas sand.\nYou can put up your dukes,\nand you can bet your boots,\nthat I'm leavin' just as fast as I can.\n\u2026 I want to go home with the armadillo.\nGood country music from Amarillo and Abilene.\nThe friendliest people and the prettiest women\nyou've ever seen.\n\u2026 Well it's cold over here and I swear,\nI wish they'd turn the heat on.\nAnd where in the world is that English girl,\nI promised I would meet on the third floor?\nAnd of the whole damn lot, the only friend I got,\nis a smoke and a cheap guitar.\nMy mind keeps roamin', my heart keeps longin'\nto be home in a Texas bar.\n\u2026 I want to go home with the armadillo.\nGood country music from Amarillo and Abilene.\nThe friendliest people and the prettiest women\nyou've ever seen.\n\u2026 Well, I decided that I'd get my cowboy hat\nand go down to Marble Arch Station.\n'Cause when a Texan fancies\nhe'll take his chances,\nchances will be taken - that's for sure.\nAnd them Limey eyes, they were eyein' the prize\nthat some people call manly footwear.\nThey said you're from down South,\nand when you open your mouth,\nyou always seem to put your foot there.<\/em><\/pre>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"494\" src=\"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/IMG_881CF7A0D7A9-1-1024x494.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-231\" srcset=\"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/IMG_881CF7A0D7A9-1-1024x494.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/IMG_881CF7A0D7A9-1-300x145.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/IMG_881CF7A0D7A9-1-768x371.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/IMG_881CF7A0D7A9-1-1200x579.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/IMG_881CF7A0D7A9-1.jpeg 1508w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption><em>Distance between London and Austin Texas<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>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&#8217;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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-verse\"><em>\"Well, when you're down on your luck, and you ain't got a buck, in London you're a goner\"<\/em><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>He hadn&#8217;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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-verse\"><em>\u201cWhere in the world is that English girl I promised to meet on the third floor?\u201d<\/em><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>In the same verse, he admits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-verse\"><em>\u201cMy mind keeps roamin\u2019 my heart keeps longin\u2019 to be home in a Texas bar\u201d. <\/em><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-verse\">\"<em>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<\/em>\"<\/pre>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"529\" src=\"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/file.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-227\" srcset=\"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/file.jpg 850w, https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/file-300x187.jpg 300w, https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/file-768x478.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><figcaption><em>Armadillo World Headquarters, opened in 1970 and closed in <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Armadillo&#8221; in the chorus is a word with a lot of cultural meaning. It was a Texan music hall and beer garden, quoted of being &#8220;<em>the renaissance that made the city (Austin) a nationally recognized music capitol<\/em>&#8220;.  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. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/s-l1600-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-228\" width=\"443\" height=\"443\" srcset=\"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/s-l1600-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/s-l1600-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/s-l1600-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/s-l1600-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/s-l1600-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/s-l1600-1200x1200.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/s-l1600.jpg 1582w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 443px) 100vw, 443px\" \/><figcaption><em>A patch that I found, which I think perfectly encapsulates the love for Armadillos in Texas.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The word &#8220;Armadillo&#8221; 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 &#8220;Southern Charm&#8221;. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/Untitled-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-226\" width=\"394\" height=\"466\" srcset=\"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/Untitled-1.png 554w, https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/Untitled-1-253x300.png 253w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 394px) 100vw, 394px\" \/><figcaption>Distance between Amarillo and Abilene, both located in northwestern Texas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>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 &#8220;I listen to Texan music from all over!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The chorus alludes to one message: \u201ceverything is better in Texas, and anywhere else is bad in comparison\u201d. The bars are more fun, the people are friendlier, Texans know how to party. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/ESG44-EWoAIcjNa.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-229\" srcset=\"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/ESG44-EWoAIcjNa.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/ESG44-EWoAIcjNa-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/ESG44-EWoAIcjNa-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption><em>The Marble Arch Station, a famous underground subway station in London<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-verse\"> <em>`\u2018Cause when a Texan fancies he\u2019ll take his chances, chances will be taken- that's for sure\u201d<\/em>. <\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>To me, this further demonstrates the individualism and &#8220;lone star&#8221; mentality many Texans hold themselves to. They are unafraid of judgement, do not need others opinions, and are brave for being authentically themselves<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Nunn came back to Texas to record the album <em>\u00a1Viva Terlingua!<\/em>, 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. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"513\" src=\"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-04-at-12.31.48-PM-1024x513.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-230\" srcset=\"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-04-at-12.31.48-PM-1024x513.png 1024w, https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-04-at-12.31.48-PM-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-04-at-12.31.48-PM-768x385.png 768w, https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/files\/2023\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-04-at-12.31.48-PM.png 1058w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption><em>Luckenbach, an unincorporated community north of San Antonio and west of Houston<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was featured as the theme song of a show called <em>Austin City Limits<\/em>, 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.&nbsp;The song became an instant hit and a mantra for Texan pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Austin City Limits Show Open 1986\" width=\"1333\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hXH1HFwGn5s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption><em>The theme song to Austin City Limits<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cArmadillo World Headquarters.\u201d&nbsp;<em>TSHA<\/em>, https:\/\/www.tshaonline.org\/handbook\/entries\/armadillo-world-headquarters.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Gary Nunn With Jerry Jeff Walker on &#8220;London Homesick Blues&#8221;<\/em>. (n.d.). Country Thang Daily.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.countrythangdaily.com\/gary-nunn-jeff-walker\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.countrythangdaily.com\/gary-nunn-jeff-walker\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Robert W. Roddis, Esq. (2008, August 26).&nbsp;<em>Gary P Nunn w\/ Jerry Jeff Walker &#8211; London Homesick Blues 1991<\/em>&nbsp;[Video]. YouTube.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=g4Ppc3jz3GE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=g4Ppc3jz3GE<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Texas Archive of the Moving Image. (2022, June 13).&nbsp;<em>Austin City Limits Show Open 1986<\/em>&nbsp;[Video]. YouTube.&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hXH1HFwGn5s\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hXH1HFwGn5s<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lyrics \u2026 Well, when you&#8217;re down on your luck and you ain&#8217;t got a buck, in London you&#8217;re a goner. Even London Bridge has fallen down and moved to Arizona; now I know why. And I&#8217;ll substantiate the rumor that the English sense of humor is drier than the Texas &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":511,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"portfolio_post_id":0,"portfolio_citation":"","portfolio_annotation":"","openlab_post_visibility":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[36,19,34,35,37,11,6],"class_list":["post-161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-songs-of-texas","tag-austin","tag-country","tag-gary-nunn","tag-jerry-jeff-walker","tag-luckenbach","tag-songs-of-texas","tag-western-swing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/511"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=161"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":235,"href":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161\/revisions\/235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unewhavendh.org\/music-of-texas-spring-2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}