Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa...
Most locals will know that familiar chorus that kicks off Dionne Warwick‘s iconic song, “Do You Know the Way to San Jose?”
Some need-to-know facts about this chart-topping hit:
- The music was written by Grammy and Academy award-winning composer Burt Bacharach.
- The lyrics were written by Hal David, who was inspired by our city after he was stationed here in the Navy.
- At first, Dionne did not like the song, but she still received her first Grammy for it.
- The song is about a San Josean who quits Hollywood to come back home.
Of course, a song as big as this one has been covered + performed hundreds of times, including by:
- Nancy Sinatra
- Carpenters
- Neil Diamond
- Frankie Goes to Hollywood
We’ve collected some of these covers + instrumental renditions in a massive Spotify playlist . One of our favorites? Minoru Muraoka‘s magical instrumental cover with traditional wind instruments. Special shoutout to Instant Death’s screamo metal cover, which proves that this song transcends all genre boundaries.