Don't Fence Me In (song)
Encyclopedia
Don't Fence Me In is a popular American song with music
by Cole Porter
and lyrics
by Robert Fletcher and Cole Porter.
film musical, "Don't Fence Me In" was based on text by a poet and engineer with the Department of Highways in Helena, Montana
, Robert (Bob) Fletcher. Cole Porter
, who had been asked to write a cowboy
song for the 20th Century Fox musical, bought the poem from Fletcher for $250. Porter reworked Fletcher's poem, and when the song was first published, Porter was credited with sole authorship. Porter had wanted to give Fletcher co-authorship credit, but his publishers did not allow that. After the song became popular, however, Fletcher hired attorneys who negotiated his being given co-authorship credit in subsequent publications. Although it was one of the most popular songs of its time, Porter claimed it was his least favorite of his own compositions.
The Fletcher poem used would seem to be "Open Range," contained in his 1934 book Coral Dust. The final couplet is "And turn me loose on my cayuse, But please don't fence me in." Apart from that, the rest of the lyrics appear to be Cole's invention, unless he utilized other material from the book.
resurrected "Don't Fence Me In" for Roy Rogers
to sing in the movie, Hollywood Canteen
. Many people heard the song for the first time when Kate Smith
introduced it on her radio broadcast of October 8, 1944. "Don't Fence Me In" was also recorded by Bing Crosby
and The Andrews Sisters
in 1944. Crosby entered the studio on July 25, 1944, without having seen or heard the song. Within 30 minutes, he and The Andrews Sisters had made the recording, which later sold over a million copies and topped the Billboard
charts for eight weeks in 1944-45.
Ella Fitzgerald
recorded this on her Verve
Cole Porter Songbook album, it was also released on her Verve
release "Ella Fitzgerald Sings More Cole Porter."
Also made famous by the original "Singin' Cowboy" Gene Autry
and also Willie Nelson
with Leon Russell
plays a magazine reporter who comes to Roy Rogers
' and George "Gabby" Hayes' ranch to research a story which she is writing about a legendary late gunslinger. When it's revealed that Gabby Hayes is actually the supposedly dead outlaw, Roy must clear his name. Rogers and The Sons of the Pioneers also find time to perform some songs, including the Cole Porter title tune.
The next year (1946), a biopic about Cole Porter used a clip from Hollywood Canteen of Rogers singing "Don't Fence Me In."
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
by Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
and lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
by Robert Fletcher and Cole Porter.
Origins
Originally written in 1934 for Adios, Argentina, an unproduced 20th Century Fox20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
film musical, "Don't Fence Me In" was based on text by a poet and engineer with the Department of Highways in Helena, Montana
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
, Robert (Bob) Fletcher. Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
, who had been asked to write a cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
song for the 20th Century Fox musical, bought the poem from Fletcher for $250. Porter reworked Fletcher's poem, and when the song was first published, Porter was credited with sole authorship. Porter had wanted to give Fletcher co-authorship credit, but his publishers did not allow that. After the song became popular, however, Fletcher hired attorneys who negotiated his being given co-authorship credit in subsequent publications. Although it was one of the most popular songs of its time, Porter claimed it was his least favorite of his own compositions.
The Fletcher poem used would seem to be "Open Range," contained in his 1934 book Coral Dust. The final couplet is "And turn me loose on my cayuse, But please don't fence me in." Apart from that, the rest of the lyrics appear to be Cole's invention, unless he utilized other material from the book.
Cover versions
Ten years later, in 1944, Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
resurrected "Don't Fence Me In" for Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye , was an American singer and cowboy actor, one of the most heavily marketed and merchandised stars of his era, as well as being the namesake of the Roy Rogers Restaurants franchised chain...
to sing in the movie, Hollywood Canteen
Hollywood Canteen (1944 film)
Hollywood Canteen is a 1944 Warner Bros. film starring Joan Leslie, Robert Hutton, and Dane Clark. The film was written and directed by Delmer Daves, and is notable for featuring many stars in cameo roles...
. Many people heard the song for the first time when Kate Smith
Kate Smith
Kathryn Elizabeth "Kate" Smith was an American Popular singer, best known for her rendition of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America". Smith had a radio, television, and recording career spanning five decades, which reached its pinnacle in the 1940s.Smith was born in Greenville, Virginia...
introduced it on her radio broadcast of October 8, 1944. "Don't Fence Me In" was also recorded by Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
and The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters were a highly successful close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews , soprano Maxene Angelyn Andrews , and mezzo-soprano Patricia Marie "Patty" Andrews...
in 1944. Crosby entered the studio on July 25, 1944, without having seen or heard the song. Within 30 minutes, he and The Andrews Sisters had made the recording, which later sold over a million copies and topped the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts for eight weeks in 1944-45.
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
recorded this on her Verve
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
Cole Porter Songbook album, it was also released on her Verve
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
release "Ella Fitzgerald Sings More Cole Porter."
Also made famous by the original "Singin' Cowboy" Gene Autry
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
and also Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
with Leon Russell
Leon Russell
Claude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
Roy Rogers and Don't Fence Me In
The following year, the song was sung again as the title tune of another Roy Rogers film, Don't Fence Me In (1945), in which Dale EvansDale Evans
Dale Evans, was an American writer, movie star, and singer-songwriter. She was the third wife of singing cowboy Roy Rogers.-Early life:...
plays a magazine reporter who comes to Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye , was an American singer and cowboy actor, one of the most heavily marketed and merchandised stars of his era, as well as being the namesake of the Roy Rogers Restaurants franchised chain...
' and George "Gabby" Hayes' ranch to research a story which she is writing about a legendary late gunslinger. When it's revealed that Gabby Hayes is actually the supposedly dead outlaw, Roy must clear his name. Rogers and The Sons of the Pioneers also find time to perform some songs, including the Cole Porter title tune.
The next year (1946), a biopic about Cole Porter used a clip from Hollywood Canteen of Rogers singing "Don't Fence Me In."
Pop culture
- David ByrneDavid Byrne (musician)David Byrne is a musician and artist, best known as a founding member and principal songwriter of the American new wave band Talking Heads, which was active between 1975 and 1991. Since then, Byrne has released his own solo recordings and worked with various media including film, photography,...
did a cover of this song in 1990 for a Cole PorterCole PorterCole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
tribute album entitled Red Hot + BlueRed Hot + BlueRed Hot + Blue is the first in the series of compilation albums from the Red Hot Organization. The recording was the first in the Red Hot Benefit Series...
. Byrne performed what he describes as his "Brazilian" version of the song during his 2004 tour for the Grown BackwardsGrown BackwardsGrown Backwards is an album by David Byrne, released March 16, 2004.-Track listing:All tracks written by David Byrne, except where noted.#"Glass, Concrete & Stone" – 4:13...
album. - Steve GoodmanSteve GoodmanSteve Goodman was an American folk music singer-songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. The writer of "City of New Orleans", made popular by Arlo Guthrie, Goodman won two Grammy Awards.-Personal life:...
performed the song, including on his album The Easter Tapes recorded during one of his annual visits with New York radio personality Vin ScelsaVin ScelsaVincent Anthony Scelsa, better known as "Vin," was born on December 12, 1947 in Bayonne, New Jersey. He is the host of a freeform radio show known as Idiot's Delight....
. - Lynn AndersonLynn AndersonLynn Rene Anderson is an American country music singer and equestrian known for a string of hits throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, most notably her Grammy Award-winning, worldwide mega-hit, " Rose Garden." Helped by her regular exposure on national television, Anderson was one of the most...
recorded the song for her album Cowboy's SweetheartCowboy's SweetheartCowboy's Sweetheart is the name of a studio album, released by country singer Lynn Anderson in 1992.Anderson had recently finished a long and lucrative career in the country music business, releasing and promoting albums and singles for the public. She finished her last album in 1988 with What She...
in 1992. - ChumbawambaChumbawambaChumbawamba is a British musical group who have, over a career spanning nearly three decades, played punk rock, pop-influenced music, world music, and folk music...
recorded a version of the song with lead vocals by Danbert NobaconDanbert NobaconDanbert Nobacon was a vocalist and occasional keyboard player in the Leeds based anarchist band Chumbawamba...
. A segment of the song featured on the unreleased album Jesus H. Christ that was later reworked to become Shhh! (1992), but "Don't Fence Me In" did not feature on the final album cut. - The first verse of the song was sung by ApuApu NahasapeemapetilonApu Nahasapeemapetilon is a character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the episode "The Telltale Head". Apu is the proprietor of the Kwik-E-Mart, a popular convenience store in Springfield, and a friend of Homer Simpson. He is also...
in The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "The Lastest Gun in the WestThe Lastest Gun in the West"The Lastest Gun in the West" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons’ thirteenth season. It first aired on the Fox network on February 24, 2002. In the episode, Bart, after being chased by a vicious dog, runs into a retired Western star named Buck McCoy, who soon becomes Bart's idol...
". - The song was sung in the 1954 action movie "Hell and High Water." Starring Richard Widmark
- The song was featured in the 1999 film The Bachelor, which follows a sworn bachelor who is reluctant to marry.
- The song was used in the opening credits of the 2000 film ChopperChopper (film)Chopper is a 2000 Australian film, written and directed by New Zealand film-maker Andrew Dominik and based on the semi-autobiographical books by Mark Brandon "Chopper" Read. The film stars Eric Bana as the title character, and co-stars Vince Colosimo, Simon Lyndon, Bill Young and David Field...
. - Cary-Hiroyuki TagawaCary-Hiroyuki Tagawais a Japanese-American actor.In addition to his extensive film work, he has appeared on television in Star Trek: The Next Generation - "Encounter at Farpoint" , Thunder in Paradise , Nash Bridges , Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding , and Heroes . He also provided the voice of Sin Tzu for the video game...
's character Eddie Sakamura sings it at a karaoke bar in the opening scene of the 1993 film Rising SunRising Sun (film)Rising Sun is a [1993 film directed by Philip Kaufman, starring Sean Connery , Wesley Snipes, Harvey Keitel, and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa...
. It is also played while the end credits roll. - Shortly after the Berlin WallBerlin WallThe Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
was erected in 1961, a communist-run East BerlinEast BerlinEast Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
radio station called Ops used “Don’t Fence Me In” as the theme song for its nightly propaganda broadcast aimed at Allied soldiersBerlin BrigadeAfter the end of World War II, under the conditions of the Yalta and Potsdam agreements, Allied forces occupied West Berlin. This occupation lasted throughout the Cold War...
based in West BerlinWest BerlinWest Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
.
See also
- List of number-one singles of 1944 and 1945 (U.S.)