South of the Border (1939 song)

"South of the Border Down Mexico Way" is a popular song describing a trip to Mexico, written by Jimmy Kennedy and Michael Carr. It was originally released in 1939, with many versions following, including one for the film of the same name sung by star Gene Autry.

Background

In the lyrics, a man looks back with regret for having left a woman he cannot forget. When he returns much later, she is preparing to wed, presumably to either the church or another man. In the movie, however, she has become a nun to atone for her brother's crimes. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.

Recordings

The song was a hit in 1939 for Shep Fields, vocal by Hal Derwin, reaching the No.1 spot for five weeks. Other successful recordings in 1939 were by Guy Lombardo, Gene Autry, Ambrose (vocal by Denny Dennis) and Tony Martin.

Other notable recordings

• Al Bowlly recorded May 11, 1939 (see Al Bowlly discography)
• Frank Sinatra recorded the song on April 30, 1953 for Capitol Records and it reached the Billboard charts with a top position of #18 in a 4-week stay.>
• Frankie Laine (1953)
• Gale Storm – issued as a single and also included in the album Gale Storm Sings (1957)
• Gene Merlino – for The Simpsons episode "Kamp Krusty"
• Patti Page – recorded for her album Let's Get Away from It All (1957)
• Perry Como recorded for his album We Get Letters (1957)
• Russ Conway – for his album Piano Requests (1958)
• Mel Tormé - ¡Olé Tormé!: Mel Tormé Goes South of the Border with Billy May (1959)
• Sam Cooke – included in his Cooke's Tour album (1960)
• Patsy Cline – included in her album Showcase (1961)
• The Shadows – for their album Out of the Shadows (1962)
• Dean Martin for his album Dino Latino (1962)
• Fats Domino included in his album Here He Comes Again! (1963)
• Herb Alpert for his album South of the Border (1964)
• Bing Crosby included in his album Bing Crosby's Treasury – The Songs I Love (1965)
• Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys released a version on the album “The Best of Bob Wills” (1970)
• Chuck Berry – for the album Chuck Berry (1975) (a few liberties taken with the lyrics)
• Don McLean – included in his album Prime Time (1977)
• Willie Nelson – for his album What a Wonderful World (1988), and for his album Let's Face the Music and Dance (2013)
• Chris Isaak for his album Baja Sessions (1996)
• Keely Smith for the album Keely Sings Sinatra (2001)
• Acker Bilk – included in the album Clarinet Moods (2002)

References