In 1969, Ray Benson and Lucky Oceans (Reuben Gosfield) co-founded Asleep at the Wheel in Paw Paw, West Virginia, and soon after they found themselves opening for Alice Cooper and Hot Tuna in Washington, DC.[1] A year later, they moved to East Oakland, California at the invitation of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. After being mentioned in Rolling Stone magazine by Van Morrison, they landed a record deal with United Artists. In 1973, their debut album, Comin' Right At Ya was released by United Artists. At the request of Willie Nelson, they left Oakland for Austin in 1974.
Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have been presented numerous awards throughout their career. Most recently, the 16th Annual Midsouth Regional Emmy Award for the making of "A Ride With Bob", recognition by Mayor Kirk Watson of Austin, Texas, and the Darrel K. Royal Music Patron Award by The Texas Heritage Songwriters' Association. In 2007, The Austin Chronicle recognized Asleep at the Wheel for Band of the Year, Best Country Band, and into their Hall of Fame. Benson was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame in 2002, was given The Texas Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996, and recognized as an Outstanding Producer by the National Academy of Recording Arts in 1988. He has also been given numerous Citations of Achievement by Broadcast Music, Inc. for his work in the country music field. Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have been one of the strongest names in Country Music for the last forty years.
Albuquerque
Asleep at the Wheel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where my true love waits for me
Gotta go, gotta go to a gal that I know
In A-L-B-U-Q-U-E-R-Q-U-E
Gonna take that ol′ train to our nest in the west
That's the new address for me
Gonna burn up the track ′cause I'm on my way back
Albuquerque, Albuquerque, here I come
On the CHI- L.A. Express
Got a letter near my heart from the sweetest girl
And the letter near my heart says, "Yes!"
I'm the one, I′m the one, I′m the one she loves best
'Cause she′s got a lot of mail from me
I'm the one guy she knew, who knew how to spell
A-L-B-U-Q-U-E-R-Q-U-E
Albuquerque, Albuquerque here I come
On the CHI- L.A. Express
Got a letter near my heart from my sweetest one
And the letter near my heart says, "Yes!"
I′m the one, I'm the one, I′m the one she loves best
'Cause she's got a lot of mail from me
I′m the one guy she knew, who knew how to spell
A-L-B-U-Q-U-E-R-Q-U-E
A-L-B-U-Q-U-E-R-Q-U-E
The lyrics describe the singer's eagerness to return to Albuquerque, New Mexico to see his true love. He expresses his excitement to take the CHI-L.A. Express train to their new home in the west. The letter he holds close to his heart confirms his sweetheart's love for him and he knows that he is the one she loves the most. The fact that he was able to spell Albuquerque correctly, tells us about the special relationship he has with the place and his connection to his lover.
The lyrics are a testament to the power of love that transcends distance and the joy of reuniting with a loved one. Albuquerque has a special significance in the lyrics, as it represents a place of happiness, love, and homecoming. The song captures the essence of the American west and the exciting journey on the train to the west.
Line by Line Meaning
Gotta go, gotta go back to New Mexico
I need to return to New Mexico
Where my true love waits for me
My significant other is waiting for me there
Gotta go, gotta go to a gal that I know
I need to visit a girl in Albuquerque
In A-L-B-U-Q-U-E-R-Q-U-E
Specifically in Albuquerque
Gonna take that ol′ train to our nest in the west
I'll ride a train to our home in the western part of the US
That's the new address for me
It's my new place of residence
Gonna burn up the track ′cause I'm on my way back
I'll travel quickly as I return
To A-L-B-U-Q-U-E-R-Q-U-E
Back to Albuquerque
Albuquerque, Albuquerque, here I come
I'm excited to arrive in Albuquerque
On the CHI- L.A. Express
I'll be traveling on this train
Got a letter near my heart from the sweetest girl
I have a letter from my sweetheart with me
And the letter near my heart says, "Yes!"
It's a positive response to my proposal or question
I'm the one, I′m the one, I′m the one she loves best
I'm her favorite
'Cause she′s got a lot of mail from me
She's familiar with me because of the letters I've sent
I'm the one guy she knew, who knew how to spell
I stood out by being able to spell Albuquerque
A-L-B-U-Q-U-E-R-Q-U-E
The correct spelling of Albuquerque
Writer(s): Chris Lindsey, Stephonie Seekell
Contributed by Caroline R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ben - Moderator
The issue with search on Firefox is now resolved.
Ben - Moderator
Sorry about that Eddie - we will resolve this very soon. In the meantime you should still be able to paste a search into the search box. I'll update you here.
Eddie
With the new setup my firefox browser will not allow typing in the search area.