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.
Salt River Valley
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 Sons of the Pioneers' song Red River Valley speak of leaving behind a familiar home and saying farewell to old friends. The singer references their ropin' and wranglin' being through, suggesting that they are perhaps a cowboy or ranch hand who has spent their life working in the red river valley. The empty bunkhouse is a place where the singer has spent many hours dreaming and reflecting, but now it is time to move on.
The song is a nostalgic reflection on the singer's life and the changes that time brings. As they pack up their belongings and prepare to leave, they sing about the uncertainty of the future, knowing that nobody knows where they will end up. This adds to the bittersweet sentiment of the song - having to leave behind a place and people that they have grown to love, while also being excited for the new adventures that await them.
Overall, Red River Valley is a touching song that speaks to a universal experience of leaving behind a place that holds a special meaning to us, while also acknowledging the beauty and excitement of the unexpected road ahead.
Line by Line Meaning
So long to the red river valley,
I'm leaving behind the comfort and familiarity of the Red River Valley.
My ropin' and wranglin' is through
I'm done with herding and tending to cattle.
And so farewell to the home corral
I'm bidding goodbye to the place I called home.
And all the old friends that I knew.
And all the friends I've made during my time in the valley.
Goodbye to the old empty bunkhouse
I'm saying goodbye to the empty bunkhouse where I spent countless hours dreaming.
Where I dreamed the hours away
The bunkhouse gave me a place to pass the time dreaming and contemplating.
Send my mail to the end of the trail
Please send my mail to the last destination of my journey.
So long to the red river valley.
This is my final farewell to my time in the Red River Valley.
I'll roll up my beddin' and pack up my clothes
I will prepare to travel by packing all my belongings.
And lighten my heart with a song
I'll sing to lift my spirits as I leave behind everything I've known.
For where I'll be travelin', nobody knows
I am unsure of my next destination, and it is uncertain where my journey will take me.
So I'll have to be movin' a long.
Therefore, I must continue moving forward.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: FRANK MILLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bill Akins
on The Devil's Great Grandson
"The Devil's Great Grandson" (Lyrics)
Recorded by Roy Rogers & The Son's Of The Pioneers
(Lyrics submitted by Bill Akins)
(The Devil's Great Grandson performed by the Sons Of The Pioneers and written by Bob Nolan. The tune was recorded in Los Angeles on December 14, 1937 and the group at that time was Roy Rogers, Bob Nolan, Lloyd Perryman and the Farr brothers.)
Old Skyball Paint was the devil's saint
His eyes were a fiery red
Good men have tried this horse to ride
And all of them are dead
Now I won't brag but I rode this nag
Till his blood began to boil
Then I hit the ground and ate three pound
Of good old western soil
Singin' Hi-ho lad don't you make me mad
I'm the devil's great grandson
And I'm doin' my best to tame the west
With my great big forty-four gun
(Light group harmony yodel)
I swore by heck
I'd break his neck for the jolt he gave my pride
I threw my noose on that old cayuse and once more took a ride
He turned around and soon
I found his tail where his head should be
So says says I Perhaps he's shy or he just don't care for me
Singin' Hi-ho lad don't you make me mad
I'm the devil's great grandson
And I'm doin' my best to tame the west
With my great big forty-four gun
(Only Roy Rogers STRONG yodeling, group harmony humming and ahhing along)
In town you see just to have a spree when
I meets old Sheriff Jim
With fistic fun and my big six-gun
I buys the town from him
For a whoop and a holler and a counterfeit dollar
Then I ask for a bill of sale
But my face turned red when the contract said just thirty days in jail
Singin' Hi-ho lad don't you make me mad
I'm the devil's great grandson
And I'm doin' my best to tame the west
With my great big forty-four gun
(Light group harmony yodel again)
Where the greasewood bats wear
Stetson hats and the bad men all run free
Where they sold the jail at a bargain sale
That's the land for me
Where the desert ants wear buckskin pants and help me rule the land
With the ants and the bats and my two gats
I'll rule with an iron hand
Singin' Hi-ho lad don't you make me mad
I'm the devil's great grandson
And I'm doin' my best to tame the west
With my great big forty-four gun
(Only Roy Rogers STRONG yodeling, group harmony humming and ahhing along)