Born in Tioga, Texas, Autry was raised in Texas and Oklahoma. Discovered by humorist Will Rogers, in 1929 Autry was billed as "Oklahoma's Yodeling Cowboy" at KVOO in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He gained a popular following, a recording contract with Columbia Records in 1929, and soon after, performed on the "National Barn Dance" for radio station WLS in Chicago. Autry first appeared on screen in 1934 and up to 1953 popularized the musical Western and starred in 93 feature films. In 1940 theater exhibitors of America voted Autry the fourth biggest box office attraction, behind Mickey Rooney, Clark Gable, and Spencer Tracy.
While best known today as the singer of such holiday fare as Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane), Frosty The Snowman, Peter Cottontail, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the second all-time best selling Christmas single of all time, Autry made 640 recordings, including more than 300 songs written or co-written by him. His records are reputed to have sold more than 100 million copies. His recording of That Silver-Haired Daddy Of Mine is reputed to have sold more than 5 million copies. Autry's other significant recordings include:
* You Are My Sunshine (1931)
* A Face I See at Evening (1931)
* The Last Roundup (1933)
* Cowboy's Heaven (1934)
* South of the Border (1934)
* Tumbling Tumbleweeds (1935)
* Mexicali Rose (1935)
* Take Me Back to My Boots and Saddle (1935)
* Gold Mine in the Sky (1937)
* Back in the Saddle Again (1939)
* Blueberry Hill (1941)
* Be Honest With Me (1946)
* Ghost Riders in the Sky (1949)
* Nobody's Darlin' but Mine (1957)
From 1940 to 1956 Autry hosted the weekly Melody Ranch radio show over the CBS Radio Network, featuring Autry's trademark theme song Back In The Saddle Again. In addition, Autry's popularity was apparent during his personal appearance tours. Claimed to have been the first performer to sell out Madison Square Garden, his concert and rodeo appearances throughout the United States and Europe served as a model for other performers. Autry often did two shows a day, seven days a week, for 65 to 85 days at a stretch.
In 1950, Autry became one of the first major movie stars to turn to television. For the next five years he produced and starred in 91 half-hour episodes of The Gene Autry Show for CBS Television. This success lead him to produce such popular TV series as Annie Oakley, The Range Rider, Buffalo Bill Jr., The Adventures Of Champion as well as the first 39 episodes of Death Valley Days.
He carried his love for entertaining and sharp business sense into broadcasting, where, under the Golden West Broadcasters banner, he owned a chain of radio and television stations throughout the Western United States, including KMPC and KTLA in Los Angeles and KSFO in San Francisco until the late 1980's. His other business interests included the Gene Autry Hotel in Palm Springs, and several other properties. He ranked for many years on the Forbes magazine list of the 400 richest Americans, before he fell in 1995 to the magazine's "near miss" category with an estimated net worth of $320 million.
Autry's broadcasting interests that led him in 1960 to acquire the then expansion Los Angeles Angels American League baseball franchise (later the California Angels). After his retirement from performing in the mid-1960's, much of Autry's time was spent unsuccessfully attempting to win a World Series' championship for his Angels. When he became the first country musician to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, he said that there's "only one day that will be bigger than this one for me, and that's when we win the World Series." Autry was a fixture at Angels' games for the rest of his life.
Autry's long-cherished dream came true with the opening in November 1988 of the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum, since acclaimed as one of the finest museums on the history and mythology of the West.
Among the many hundreds of honors and awards Autry has received were induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame; the American Academy of Achievement Award, the Los Angeles Area Governor's Emmy from The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences; and the Board of Directors Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Achievement in Arts Foundation. Autry was also inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, The National Cowboy Hall of Fame, the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and he received The Songwriters Guild Life Achievement Award. He was also honored by his songwriting peers with a lifetime achievement award from ASCAP.
Gene Autry died at his home in Studio City, California on October 2, 1998 at the age of 91.
South Of The Border
Gene Autry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's where I fell in love when stars above came out to play
And now as I wander, my thoughts ever stray
South of the border, down Mexico way
She was a picture in old Spanish lace
Just for a tender while, I kissed the smile upon her face
For it was fiesta and we were so gay
Then she sighed as she whispered, "maรฑana"
Never dreaming that we were parting
And I lied as I whispered, "maรฑana"
For our tomorrow never came
South of the border, I rode back one day
There in a veil of white, by candlelight, she knelt to pray
But the mission bells told me, that I mustn't stay
South of the border, down Mexico way
Ay ay ay ay, ay ay ay ay
Ay ay ay ay, ay ay ay ay
The lyrics to Gene Autry's "South Of The Border" describe a romantic love story that takes place in Mexico. The singer talks about falling in love under the stars and wandering with his thoughts always straying to the place where he met this woman. He describes her as a picture in old Spanish lace and remembers kissing the smile on her face during a fiesta. However, the romance is cut short as they both whispered "maรฑana" (tomorrow) to each other, not realizing that they were parting ways for good. The song ends with the image of the singer returning to Mexico and seeing the woman he fell in love with in a veil of white, by candlelight, as she knelt to pray. The mission bells tolling signify that he knew he couldn't stay and that their love story was over.
Line by Line Meaning
South of the border, down Mexico way
Gene Autry is singing about a place in Mexico where he fell in love.
That's where I fell in love when stars above came out to play
Gene Autry describes his love story taking place during a night when stars lit up the sky.
And now as I wander, my thoughts ever stray
Gene Autry is thinking back to his memories of falling in love in Mexico.
She was a picture in old Spanish lace
Gene Autry's lover was wearing a delicate and beautiful Spanish lace outfit.
Just for a tender while, I kissed the smile upon her face
Gene Autry only had a brief moment to kiss his lover, but it was enough for them to show affection.
For it was fiesta and we were so gay
Gene Autry and his lover were celebrating, embracing the festive mood that surrounded them.
Then she sighed as she whispered, 'maรฑana'
Gene Autry's lover sighed and whispered 'maรฑana' which means tomorrow, but little did they know they would never be together again.
Never dreaming that we were parting
Gene Autry's lover had no idea that they were about to part ways forever.
And I lied as I whispered, 'maรฑana'
Gene Autry lied to his lover when he whispered 'maรฑana', because he knew they would not have a tomorrow together.
For our tomorrow never came
Gene Autry and his lover never got the chance to be together again.
South of the border, I rode back one day
Gene Autry returns to the place where he fell in love.
There in a veil of white, by candlelight, she knelt to pray
Gene Autry sees his lover wearing a white veil, praying by candlelight in a church.
But the mission bells told me, that I mustn't stay
Gene Autry hears the mission bells, telling him that he cannot stay and must leave.
Ay ay ay ay, ay ay ay ay
This is a traditional Mexican song refrain and expresses the emotional depth of the situation.
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GENE AUTRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@holythumbs5163
It's Memorial Day and I was reading about an 18 year old sailor who lost his life at Pearl Harbor. His remains were just recently identified and were sent back home for a military funeral (he was buried today). In the article, there was a 91 year old woman who still remembered him before he left for the war. "โWe had a juke box, and he liked to play the song โSouth of the Borderโ by Gene Autry." So now I'm here, listening to this song for the first time. God bless those men who died too early and gave their lives for our freedom.
@mikeyates7931
You're a very special person ๐ God Bless You and ALL those You Love โค๏ธ
@ybfhxndrx
Thank you for your service
@annhossack9706
Gene Autry,what a wonder singer,old country singing, wonderful.
@DavidRodriguez-bm4lt
I always sing this when I go golfing with the fellas.
@faaaaaabba
"golfing" is different way to say "eating my goomah s pussy"?
@alpharoo2581
@Jess W ..what?
@zemaniak22
Ed Sheeran really muffed it on his remake, not havingโwhere the tuna fish playโ in the lyricsโฆ
@thomaslee2585
Down where the tuna fish play
@llamamanism
I know where youโre coming from Tony