Don't Fence Me In
Aaron Davis Lyrics

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Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above
Don't fence me in
Let me ride through the wide open country that I love
Don't fence me in

Let me be by myself in the evenin' 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 skies
On my cayuse, let me wander over yonder
Till I see the mountains rise

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

Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies
Don't fence me in
Let me ride through the wide open country that I love
Don't fence me in

Let me be by myself in the evenin' 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 skies
On my Cayuse, let me wander over yonder
Till I see the mountains rise

I want to ride to the ridge where the west commences
And gaze at the moon till I lose my senses

I can't look at hobbles and I can't stand fences
Don't fence me in

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Aaron Davis's song Don't Fence Me In express a longing for freedom and open spaces. The singer is asking to be given land without any boundaries, so they can ride freely and enjoy the vast empty space of the western landscape. They want to be left alone to enjoy nature, listen to the rustling of the trees, and gaze at the moon until they lose their senses. The singer is aware that they might want to ride away forever, but they still plead not to be fenced in.

The lyrics convey a profound sense of individualism and an appreciation for the beauty of nature. The singer longs to escape the constraints of civilization and get away from it all. They want to be free to ride their horse wherever they want, and let the wind carry them away. The song is also an implicit critique of the industrialization and urbanization of the western United States, as the singer wants to preserve the wide-open spaces for future generations to enjoy.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above
I desire vast amounts of land beneath the starry sky

Don't fence me in
I don't want to be restricted by barriers or boundaries

Let me ride through the wide open country that I love
Allow me to journey through the spacious countryside I cherish

Don't fence me in
I don't want to be restricted by barriers or boundaries

Let me be by myself in the evenin' breeze
Allow me to be alone in the cool evening wind

And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees
And hear the gentle rustling of the cottonwood trees

Send me off forever but I ask you please
Even if you must send me away, I beg you

Don't fence me in
I don't want to be restricted by barriers or boundaries

Just turn me loose, let me straddle my old saddle
Release me, let me sit astride my trusted horse

Underneath the western skies
Beneath the magnificent sky of the American West

On my cayuse, let me wander over yonder
On my faithful steed, let me roam over hills and faraway lands

Till I see the mountains rise
Until I witness the majestic peaks emerge on the horizon

I want to ride to the ridge where the west commences
I desire to journey to the edge of the Western frontier

And gaze at the moon till I lose my senses
And stare at the moon until I become overwhelmed with wonder

I can't look at hobbles and I can't stand fences
I cannot bear to look at restraints and limitations

Don't fence me in
I don't want to be restricted by barriers or boundaries

Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies
I desire vast amounts of land beneath the starry sky