Songs About New Mexico: Albuquerque
written and performed by Neil Young (1975)
The single Albuquerque is from Young’s sixth studio album, Tonight’s the Night, released in June 1975 on Reprise Records. “The most noticeable feature of this track is how disciplined Young’s vocal sounds,” Johnny Rogan writes in The Complete Guide to the Music of Neil Young. “It’s as if he’s sobered up completely, even though the lyrics would have sounded equally appropriate if he had sung them completely out of tune.”
The album was recorded in August–September 1973, mostly on August 26, but its release was delayed for two years. It peaked at #25 on the Billboard 200. In 2003, the album was ranked number 331 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Lyrics
Well, they say
that Santa Fe
Is less than ninety miles away,
And I got time to roll a number
and rent a car.
Oh, Albuquerque.
I’ve been flyin’
down the road,
And I’ve been starvin’ to be alone,
And independent from the scene
that I’ve known.
Albuquerque.
So I’ll stop when I can,
Find some fried eggs
and country ham.
I’ll find somewhere where
they don’t care who I am.
Oh, Albuquerque,
Albuquerque.
℗ 1974 Warner Bros. Records Inc.
No copyright is claimed in the above creative examples and to the extent that material may appear to be infringed, the New Mexico Music Commission asserts that such alleged infringement is permissible under fair use principles in U.S. copyright laws. If you believe these materials have been used in an unauthorized manner, please contact us.