
Western Song: South of the Border
South of the Border is a popular song that describes a trip to Mexico. It was written by Jimmy Kennedy and Michael Carr and released in 1939 for the film of the same name starring country star Gene Autry.
In the lyrics, a man looks back with regret at leaving a woman he will never forget. When he returned later, she was preparing to get married, perhaps in church or to another man. However, in the film, she becomes a nun to atone for her brother’s crimes. The song ranked number 44 in the Western Writers of America‘s list of Top 100 Western songs of all time.
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Popular and Successful Recordings
Some of the most popular versions of the song were recorded by:
- Shep Fields (vocal by Hal Derwin)
- Guy Lombardo
- Ambrose (vocal by Denny Dennis)
- Tony Martin
Other Notable Recordings
Many other artists also made notable recordings of the song including:
- Frank Sinatra
- Al Bowlly
- Acker Bilk
- Asleep at the Wheel, with vocals by George Strait
- Bing Crosby
- Chris Isaak
- Chuck Berry
- Dean Martin
- Engelbert Humperdinck
- Fats Domino
- Frankie Laine
- Gale Storm
- Gene Merlino
- Herb Alpert
- Keely Smith
- Malcolm Vaughan
- Marty Robbins
- Mel Tormé
- Patsy Cline
- Don Mclean
- Patti Page
- Perry Como
- Russ Conway
- Sam Cooke
- The Shadows
- Slim Whitman
- Willie Nelson
South of the Border In Albums
The song has also been released in the tracklist of the albums below:
- Clarinet Moods
- Still the King – Celebrating the Music of Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys
- Bing Crosby’s Treasury – The Songs I Love
- Baja Sessions
- Chuck Berry
- Dino Latino
- The Winding Road
- Here He Comes Again!
- Gale Storm Sings
- South of the Border (1964)
- Keely Sings Sinatra
- ¡Olé Tormé!: Mel Tormé Goes South of the Border with Billy May
- Showcase
- Prime Time
- Let’s Get Away from It All
- We Get Letters
- Piano Requests
- Cooke’s Tour
- Out of the Shadows
- In Love the Whitman Way
- What a Wonderful World
- Let’s Face the Music and Dance
Listen (Frank Sinatra Version)
South of the Border Lyrics
South of the border, down Mexico way That's where I fell in love, when the stars above came out to play And now as I wander, my thoughts ever astray South of the border, down Mexico way She was a picture in old Spanish lace Just for a tender while, I kissed a smile apon her face 'Cause it was fiesta and we were so gay South of the border, Mexico way Then she sighed as she whispered, "Mañana" Never dreaming that we were parting And I lied as a whispered, "Mañana" 'Cause our tomorrow never came South of the border, I jumped back one day There in a veil of white, by the candle light she knelt to pray The mission bells told me that I mustn't stay South of the border, Mexico way The mission bells told me (Ding-dong) that I must not stay Stay south of the border, down Mexico way Ay, ay, ay, ay (Ay, ay, ay, ay) Ay, ay, ay, ay (Ay, ay, ay, ay) Ay, ay, ay, ay (Ay, ay, ay, ay) Ay, ay, ay, ay (Ay, ay, ay, ay)