Bound For the Rio Grande

Bob Nolan
Original copyright: March 16, 1939

Way down south by the border line
A pretty little girl I have in mind is waitin’, waitin’.
She said last year she’d sure be mine.
I guess right now is a pretty good time for matin’, matin’.

Saddle pack’s on Old Dan’s back and strapped against his hide.
Sun is bright, the world’s all right so now away I’ll ride
To meet the girl by the border line
And tell her it’s just this waste of time I’m hatin’, hatin’

Refrain:
Where the sleepy Rio’s flowin’
And the longhorned cattle’s lowin’,
Where the purple sage is growin’,
That’s the only place I long for.
Where the lazy clouds are sailin’
And the wild coyote is wailin’,
Get along, I’m bound for the Rio Grande!

And there’s a maid so fair with raven hair waiting there
To greet this bronco-bustin’ cowboy.

When the round up time is over,
Here comes your cowboy rover.
Get along, I’m bound for the Rio Grande!

When Bob Nolan had full responsibility for providing the songs for Columbia's Charles Starrett movies, he wrote "Bound for the Rio Grande" for "The Colorado Trail" in 1938. In 1940 the Sons of the Pioneers recorded it for the Orthacoustic radio transcriptions.

The lyrics above have been copied from Bob Nolan’s Folio of Original Cowboy Classics No. 1, ©1939 by American Music, Inc. The song was registered for copyright on March 16, 1939, as part of the songbook.

Bound For the Rio Grande (American Music, Inc.)

Typed copy of the lyrics from Bob Nolan's repertoire box

SONS OF THE PIONEERS TRANSCRIPTION RECORDINGS

Orthacoustic Symphonies of the Sage 064054 4-B (c. 1941)

NBC Thesaurus transcriptions 1790 Side A MS-064054-B (same as Orthacoustic above)

Melody Roundup radio show No. 530 (c. 1942-45)

Teleways Radio transcriptions Nos. 79, 106, 186, and 222 (c. 1947-48)

Lucky U Ranch radio show (courtesy of Larry Hopper) transcription disc TR 119/120 (November 28, 1951)