Story Behind The Song
I play mandolin in a Tex Mex trio, and have great respect for Freddie Fender and The Texas Tornadoes - thus the comic reference to Texas. When I got my Taxi membership in the mail, (thanks guys!) I saw a listing for a Hispanic singer looking for FF-ish material. Home was crowded, so I grabbed old faithful and hit the park. Precisely twenty two minutes later, Amarillo Rosa was born. Even if nobody ever records it, I'd like to thank whoever posted the ad for inspiring me to write such a song. Everyone who's heard it loves it - even non-country fans. I can live with that! Long live Rosa!
Song Description
Tex Mex, Bakersfieldish, very upbeat happy, catchy ditty. The banjo part would traditionally be played on button accordion, and the half-time feel of the intro is probably taboo, but they're both really quite cool, and together... I'll let you be the judge.
Song Length |
3:20 |
Genre |
Country - General |
Lyrics
Amarillo Rosa
Amarillo Rosa shone just like the sun
I saw her sitting pretty and I knew she was the one
I bought her beds of roses, endless strings of pearls
But all of this and more wouldn?t satisfy the girl
My Amarillo Rosa,
Your golden locks have chained me to these tears
My Amarillo Rosa,
Her yellow hair will haunt me all my years
Yes, my aficionado was a restless girl
Her smile was sweet with honey and with rows of pearls
And though I tried to love her like a good man should,
She was rarely by my side, and Lord knows I hardly could
My Amarillo Rosa,
Your golden locks have chained me to these tears
My Amarillo Rosa,
Her yellow hair will haunt me all my years
Amarillo Rosa had a heart full of gold
Well all the oil in Texas couldn?t fill up that hole
She always left me smiling each and every day
But where she went and why she smiled, she never did say
My Amarillo Rosa,
Your golden locks have chained me to these tears
My Amarillo Rosa,
Her yellow hair will haunt me all my years
Her yellow hair will haunt me all my years
Her yellow hair it haunts me all my years...
Alternate Verses:
Rosa's madre said that on her thirteenth birthday
The fire in her tresses had but dwindled away
Her namesake she would keep it, but it needed amends
For she was blonde and singing songs of love without end
Amarillo's madre said that when she was born
She came out full of fire, taking life by the horns
Her hair was all aflame, and her spirit was hot
A spider to a fly, in her web I was caught
(so Cupid strung his bow, and my poor heart was shot)