‘Holiday Road’ is a 1983 single composed and recorded by American guitarist/singer Lindsey Buckingham. Written for the 1983 film National Lampoon's Vacation, it was also used in the film's sequels National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985), Vegas Vacation (1997) and Vacation (2015). Despite only peaking at #82 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during its original release, it has since become one of Buckingham's best-known songs.
Following the release of Fleetwood Mac's 1982 album Mirage, Buckingham was approached by actor/director Harold Ramis, who asked him to create two songs for his then-upcoming sophomore theatrical directorial effort National Lampoon's Vacation. Initially reluctant, believing that soundtrack work "wasn't part of his discipline", he ultimately decided to honor Ramis' request. Buckingham recorded ‘Holiday Road’ without seeing the entire film, although he inferred that the movie "had to be somewhat uplifting and a little bit funny". As such, he added dog barks near the end of the song, unaware that the movie featured a scene where a dog is accidentally dragged to death from the bumper of a car.
Upon hearing ‘Holiday Road’, Ramis and producer Matty Simmons were surprised with how accurately the song addressed the movie's subject matter. During the same recording sessions as ‘Holiday Road’, Buckingham also wrote ‘Dancin' Across the USA’, a Mills Brothers pastiche intended for the movie's ending credits.
‘Holiday Road’ debuted at number 92 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week dated August 6, 1983. During its fourth week on the Hot 100, ‘Holiday Road’ reached its peak of number 82 and then slipped to number 99 on its fifth and final week on the chart.
When asked in a 2017 interview if he was still fond of ‘Holiday Road’, Buckingham replied that "It was one of those things that happened to work very well for the movie". Buckingham elaborated in a later interview that he enjoyed recording ‘Holiday Road’ and remembered that Ramis was "thrilled" when he first heard the song in the studio.
Label – Warner Bros.
Songwriter – Lindsey Buckingham
Producers – Lindsey Buckingham, Richard Dashut
SONG LYRICS
I found out long agoIt's a long way down the holiday road
Holiday road
Holiday road
Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Take a ride on the West Coast kick
Holiday road
Holiday road
Holiday road
Holiday road
I found out long ago
It's a long way down the holiday road
Holiday road
Holiday road
Holiday road
Holiday road