Don't Fence Me In

All week I've been posting about Cowboy Songs that my dad used to love to sing. Today, I'm going to share with you what I believe to be his favorite of them all. Being that today is the 5 year anniversary of my dad's passing, I felt it was only fitting to post about this today. God rest his soul.

James C Baird 1953 http://www.jinglejanglejungle.net/2015/01/dont-fence-me-in.html
Dad 1953
"Don't Fence Me In"
Originally written in 1934 for Adios, Argentina, an unproduced 20th Century Fox film musical, "Don't Fence Me In" was based on text by a poet and engineer with the Department of Highways in Helena, Montana, Robert (Bob) Fletcher. Cole Porter, who had been asked to write a cowboy song for the 20th Century Fox musical, bought the poem from Fletcher for $250. Porter reworked Fletcher's poem, and when the song was first published, Porter was credited with sole authorship. Porter had wanted to give Fletcher co-authorship credit, but his publishers did not allow that. After the song became popular, however, Fletcher hired attorneys who negotiated his being given co-authorship credit in subsequent publications. Although it was one of the most popular songs of its time, Porter claimed it was his least favorite of his own compositions.


There were several other versions and covers done of this song. But I won't bore you with the details. Instead, I'll just share with you the lyrics.

Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above
Don't fence me in
Let me ride in the wide open country I love
Don't fence me in
Let me be by myself in the evening breeze
And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees
Send me off forever, but I ask you please
Don't fence me in

Just turn me loose
Let me straddle my old saddle
Underneath the western sky
Let me wander over yonder
'Til I see the mountains rise

I want to ride to the ridge where the west commences
Gaze at the moon until I lose my senses
Can't look at hobbles and I can't stand fences
Don't fence me in

Just turn me loose
Let me straddle my old saddle
Underneath the western sky
Let me wander over yonder
'Til I see the mountains rise

I want to ride to the ridge where the west commences
Gaze at the moon until I lose my senses
Can't look at hobbles and I can't stand fences
Don't fence me in

Don't fence me in, don't fence me in
Don't fence me, don't fence me, don't fence me in

http://youtu.be/BjLQ0p_3PFI



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