The Sons of the Pioneers did several songs for the John Ford movies Wagon Master (in 1949) and Rio Grande in (1950).
The six members who made the Sons of the Pioneers famous in the late 1930s with their close-harmonied western style music were elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1980. In 1995, they were inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
In 1977, the Smithsonian designated the Sons of the Pioneers as "national treasures". Through many changes to the line-up, the Sons of the Pioneers have continued to perform.
Long Long Ago
Sons Of The Pioneers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My ropin' and wranglin' is through
And so farewell to the home corral
And all the old friends that I knew.
Goodbye to the old empty bunkhouse
Where I dreamed the hours away
Send my mail to the end of the trail
I'll roll up my beddin' and pack up my clothes
And lighten my heart with a song
For where I'll be travelin', nobody knows
So I'll have to be movin' a long.
Goodbye to the old empty bunkhouse
Where I dreamed the hours away
Send my mail to the end of the trail
So long to the red river valley.
The lyrics to "So Long To The Red River Valley" by Sons of the Pioneers express a sense of farewell and nostalgia from the perspective of a cowboy who is leaving the ranch and its familiar surroundings behind. The first two lines express the fact that the cowboy's days of herding and cattle driving are over, and he is now bidding goodbye to the place where he belongs. The third line refers to the "home corral," which was a fenced area where cowboys could keep their horses, and the reference to "old friends" indicates the bonds that the cowboy feels with his colleagues and fellow workers.
The second verse serves as a continuation of his goodbye, packing up and preparing to leave. The line "For where I'll be travelin', nobody knows" suggests that the cowboy is going into the unknown and may not know where his journey may lead him. The line "So I'll have to be movin' along" means that he must keep moving forward and not linger in the past, though he will miss the life and all that it represents.
Overall, the song speaks to the longing for the familiar and the sense of loss that can accompany leaving behind a cherished life. The lyrics successfully capture the emotions of cowboys and the harsh realities of their line of work.
Line by Line Meaning
So long to the red river valley,
Farewell to the place I once called home.
My ropin' and wranglin' is through
I am finished with my daily ranch work.
And so farewell to the home corral
I say goodbye to the place where I kept my horses.
And all the old friends that I knew.
I will miss the people I met and befriended here.
Goodbye to the old empty bunkhouse
I am leaving the place where I slept and lived.
Where I dreamed the hours away
I often spent my time daydreaming here.
Send my mail to the end of the trail
Please forward my mail to my new destination.
I'll roll up my beddin' and pack up my clothes
I will prepare to leave by packing my belongings.
And lighten my heart with a song
I will sing a happy tune to make myself feel better.
For where I'll be travelin', nobody knows
I am uncertain about my future destination.
So I'll have to be movin' a long.
I must depart and continue on my journey.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Janet Toth
My dear Uncle Paul used to sing this when driving. He was a WWII Navy vet and a very sweet guy !! May he rest in peace !
clarence fender
One of my favorite cowboys was Charles Starrett as the "Durango Kid."
The Killer
Wonder if there’s a rendition of this number with Ken Curtis on it?
I saw another recording on here from ‘63, both quite good.
H.J. Fleischmann
I remember growing up with this.
paper man
absolute banger
Sandra ML
Interesting rendition, however, not as poignant as the voices of World War I...
Kegan Mahon
I could have sworn Rogers was in the group. Kind of surprised to see Pat Brady. He checked himself into a sober house and died the next day.
Allen W.
roy (leonard Slye ) was in for the first 7 or 8 years then left :)
robeart07
Hi mrblindfreddy,
Will you tell me please if this selection is from a movie or an album or single?
robeart07
@mrblindfreddy9999
Thank you!