Red River Valley (song) facts for kids

"Red River Valley" is a very old and famous folk song. A folk song is a traditional song passed down through generations. This song is also a classic piece of cowboy music. It has been known by many different names over the years. These names include "Cowboy Love Song" and "Bright Mohawk Valley."

The song is easy to recognize because of its chorus:

From this valley they say you are going.
We will miss your bright eyes and sweet smile,
For they say you are taking the sunshine
That has brightened our pathway a while.

So come sit by my side if you love me.
Do not hasten to bid me adieu.
Just remember the Red River Valley,
And the cowboy that has loved you so true.

Many people love this song. The Western Writers of America group even chose it. They ranked it as one of the Top 100 Western songs ever. It was ranked number 10 on their list.

Where Did "Red River Valley" Come From?

The exact start of "Red River Valley" is a bit of a mystery. No one knows for sure who wrote it or when. But there are some interesting ideas about its origins.

Canadian Beginnings?

Some people believe the song started in Canada. A Canadian expert named Edith Fowke found clues. She found that the song was known in five Canadian provinces before 1896. This suggests it might have been created around 1870.

This was when the Wolseley Expedition happened. Soldiers traveled to the Red River Valley in Manitoba. The song might tell the sad story of a local woman. She could have been a Métis woman. Her soldier boyfriend was leaving to go back east.

American Beginnings?

Other clues point to the United States. The oldest known written lyrics are from 1879. They have notes like "Nemaha 1879" and "Harlan 1885." These are names of places in Nebraska and Iowa.

The song also appeared in printed music in New York in 1896. It was called "In the Bright Mohawk Valley." Later, in 1927, Carl Sandburg included it in his book American Songbag.

The first person to record the song was Carl T. Sprague in 1925. He called it "Cowboy Love Song." But it became very popular after Jules Verne Allen recorded it in 1929. He called his version "Cowboy's Love Song."

Famous Recordings of the Song

Many famous singers and groups have recorded "Red River Valley." This shows how popular and lasting the song is.

• In 1927, Hugh Cross and Riley Puckett made an important recording. It was the first time the song was commercially released under the title "Red River Valley."
• Gene Autry, a famous singing cowboy, recorded it in 1946. It was part of his album Gene Autry's Western Classics.
• Bing Crosby recorded the song in 1959. It was for his album How the West Was Won.
• In the 1950s and 1960s, Al Hurricane recorded an instrumental version. This version inspired the popular 1959 song "Red River Rock" by Johnny and the Hurricanes.
• Connie Francis included it on her 1961 album Connie Francis Sings Folk Song Favorites.
• Slim Whitman's version was a big hit in the UK in 1977. It was on his album Red River Valley.
• Many other artists have also recorded "Red River Valley." These include Roy Acuff, Arlo Guthrie, the Andrews Sisters, Marty Robbins, Pete Seeger, and George Strait.

"Red River Valley" in Movies and TV

"Red River Valley" has appeared in many movies and TV shows. It often helps set the mood or tell part of the story.

• Gene Autry sang the song in his 1936 film Red River Valley. He sang it again in the 1946 film Sioux City Sue.
• In the 1940 movie The Grapes of Wrath, the song was very memorable. This movie was about families moving from Oklahoma. The song became linked to the southern Red River area.
• An instrumental version was played in the 1943 film The Ox-Bow Incident.
• In 1962, Harpo Marx played an instrumental version on his harp. This was for a TV show called Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
• The song was used in the 1971 film The Last Picture Show. It helped show the feeling of a small Texas town.
• In 1987, an electronic version of "Red River Rock" was in the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
• In 2014, a child actor sang part of the song in the film Wild.
• Harry Dean Stanton sang it in the TV series Twin Peaks (2017 TV series) in 2017.