Which Way You Goin' Billy?

Album

Which Way You Goin' Billy?

Label

London Recordings

Genre

Sunshine Pop

Duration

10:00

Composer(s)

Terry Jacks

Entered Chart

Mar 28, 1970

Peak Date

Jun 6, 1970

Released

1969 (Canada) March 1970 (U.S.)

Recorded

Unknown

Catalog #

London 129

B-Side

Endless Sleep

The Poppy Family were the Canadian duo of Terry and Susan Jacks, who were husband and wife at the time. Terry Jacks, who four years later would release the ubiquitous "Seasons in the Sun," wrote the song whilst Susan sang lead. Terry was a big Buddy Holly fan, and started writing the song in his pre-Poppy days with the working title "Which Way You Goin' Buddy?" He had the melody, but couldn't come up with a lyrical theme. A few years later, after he formed The Poppy Family, he hit on the idea. In our interview with Terry Jacks, he explained: "It was in 1969 and I had been reading about all these guys going to Vietnam and leaving their women behind in Seattle, and I knew somebody down there that was doing that. I thought, 'Wow, that must be awful.' These guys go and their wives or girlfriends wouldn't know whether they were coming back. That's quite a deal, going to war over there, and it was such a stupid war. So I said, 'That's what I'm going to write about: this woman that's left behind. Which way you going, Billy? Can I go, too?'" Terry Jacks decided to name the lead character in this song "Billy" after hearing a song "Billy, Billy Went A Walkin'" by one of his favorite acts, a Montreal group called The Beau Marks. Jacks thought the name was a good fit. He told us: "I used the name Billy, because you've got to use a name that isn't going to stick out like a sore thumb. You can't do, 'Which way you goin', Lawrence.' Lots of people are called Billy, and it's a name that doesn't rub you wrong or anything." Romantic couples who make music together rarely stay romantic for long, especially when the producer husband tries to coax a better vocal out of the singer wife. When Susan did her vocal for this song, Terry thought it was perfect... too perfect. The couple, who were married from 1967-1973, argued over whether or not she should redo her vocal, and Terry convinced her to give it another try. "The next day we went in and she did it first take," he said. "She was so tired and she was so worn out, she captured the feel. It fit the song. The other performance was too happy." This was the first song The Poppy Family released outside of Canada. In 1968, they had minor hits in Canada with "Beyond The Clouds" and "What Can The Matter Be." This led to a deal with London Records, which released the song internationally. It went to #1 in Canada and was also the group's biggest hit in both the US and UK. This won the 1970 Juno award (Canada's version of the Grammys) for Best Produced Single. This was used on the TV series 12 Monkeys in the season 4 episode "45 RPM." In a scene set in 1971, two girls dance along with it as it spins on the record player.

Which way you goin' Billy?
Can I go too?
Which way you goin' Billy?
Can I go with you?

I really love you, Billy
And all this time
I thought you loved me, Billy
And you were mine

I'm gonna miss you, Billy
And though I'm trying
I'm hurting so bad, Billy
I can't help crying

You are my whole, babe
My heart and my soul, babe
I'd have nothing to show, babe
If you should go away

You are my whole, babe
My heart and my soul, babe
I'd have nothing to show, babe
If you should go

Which way you going, Billy?
Or need I ask?
Cause you don't want me, Billy
You're free at last

I won't forget you, Billy
For all my life
I'll always love you, Billy
I'll stay your wife

You are my whole, babe
My heart and my soul, babe
I'd have nothing to show, babe
If you should go away

You are my whole, babe
My heart and my soul, babe
I'd have nothing to show, babe
If you should go

You are my whole, babe
My heart and my soul, babe
I'd have nothing to show, babe
If you should go away