Thursday, January 23, 2014

Where Is Hernando's Hideaway?


After playing golf today (see my prior post here) we had lunch at Elvira's Restaurant in Tubac, AZ. Elvira's was originally founded in 1927, not in Tubac but in Nogales, Mexico. Elvira's claims to have the best Mexican cuisine and award winning dishes (the food was great). They also play great Latin American Music. One song reminded us of Hernando's Hideaway from the musical Pajama Game (video above). After singing what we knew of the song, we went searching for the lyrics and uncovered this interesting bit of trivia (quoted from Wikipedia):

The Pajama Game is set in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Hernando's Hideaway was a raunchy dive in East Dubuque, Illinois, perched on a high cliff overlooking the highway between Dubuque and Galena. The movie was based on the stage play of the same name which, in turn, was based on the book; it is only in the original book that there is information about where the story takes place.

My golfing partner and his wife are from the Dubuque-Galena area! And, a guy at the bar, who overheard our conversation was from Sterling, IL. Here are some of the lyrics:

I know a dark secluded place
A place where no one knows your face
A glass of wine a fast embrace
It's called...Hernando's Hideaway...OLE?
All you see are silhouettes
And all you hear are castanets
And no one cares how late it gets
Not at Hernando's Hideaway...OLE?

At the Golden Fingerbowl or any place you go
You can meet your Uncle Max and everyone you know
...

POP TRIVIA QUIZ

Where is Hernando's Hideaway?
  1. A sleazy bar in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
  2. The smoking room for British parliamentarians in the House of Commons.
  3. A number of places around the world based on the popularity of the song.
  4. All of the above
Answers can be found here.

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