Memories from the Homestead: 'Don't Fence Me In'

This year is really special to me. In October it will be forty years since I was introduced to the band and their music that would change my life—the Sons of the Pioneers. When we saw them here in Branson in October of 1985, Dale Warren (their Trail Boss at the time) introduced a song that had not only an excellent trio vocal stacking, but it had some fancy guitar work by Roy Lanham. The song was "Don't Fence Me In."

    I would grow to appreciate the tune over the years and fall in love with the Roy Rogers/Dale Evans film of the same name while in high school. I had always been told that Cole Porter, one of the greatest composers of American popular music, was the writer of "Don't Fence Me In," and thirty years ago I discovered the original sheet music from 1944. Porter is credited as the writer of the lyrics and music.  

    Doing further research on the tune while in high school, I discovered Porter didn't write the song at all, an earlier version dating back to 1935 was written by Iowa native Bob Fletcher. Let's take a moment here and get better acquainted with him.

Composer and Montana cattle rancher Robert Fletcher wrote the original "Don't Fence Me In." (Photo courtesy of Robert K. Fletcher and Virginia MacDonald)

     Robert Henry Fletcher was born on March 13, 1885, in Clear Lake, Iowa (a beautiful community by the way), and when he was young he moved with his folks to Montana. Fletcher's father was a longtime cattle rancher and it was from those experiences as a child that led him later to write a collection of poems, songs and stories all about the Montana cowboy life and cattle business.

     Fletcher published his book in 1936 under the title of "Corral Dust." Soon, Hollywood movie producer Lou Brock asked Fletcher to write lyrics for an upcoming musical film at Twentieth Century-Fox, and Cole Porter was hired to do the music. The film was entitled "Adios Argentina." Fletcher's original lyrics and melody to a new number he called "Don't Fence Me In" were included with a collection of others for the film. Here are Fletcher's original lyrics. 

      Don't Fence Me In 

      Give me land, lots of land

      Stretching miles across the West,

      Don't Fence Me In, 

      Let me ride where it's wide

      For somehow I like it best,

      I want to see the stars, 

      I want to feel the breeze,

      I want to smell the sage and hear the

      Cottonwood trees,

      Just turn me loose, let me straddle

      My old saddle where the Rocky 

      Mountains rise,

      On my cause I'll go sifting, I'll go

      Drifting underneath those Western

      Skies. I've got to get to where

      The West commences. I can't stand

      Hobbies, I can't stand fences,

      Don't fence me in!

     Bob Fletcher showed Cole Porter the songs for the film; for some reason the project was never produced, and Fletcher returned to Montana. Porter contacted him offering to buy "Don't Fence Me In" for $250. Fletcher was fine with that but asked that if the song was ever published, that he'd receive some sort of recognition for it.  

     Porter rewrote the music and two verses and also altered the lyrics on the chorus. In 1944 Warner Brothers published it, and Roy Rogers sang it in the wartime musical feature “Hollywood Canteen.” A year later Republic Pictures released a Roy Rogers movie version. "Don't Fence Me In" was released in October 1945. Along with Roy and Trigger, it also starred Gabby Hayes, Dale Evans, as well as Bob Nolan and the Sons of the Pioneers. The film remains a fan favorite today, still available on DVD. 

The 1945 Roy Rogers film poster of "Don't Fence Me In." (Photo courtesy of the Sons of the Pioneers Museum)

     The song by now had exploded in popularity and every major name singer featured it. Kay Starr performed it on a radio broadcast recognizing Cole Porter as the composer. It was now clear that Fletcher had been forgotten. Other versions were quite popular on record including the recording by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters. The song would remain at number one on the Hit Parade for eight weeks.

     Twenty years went by and in the mid-1960s, news broadcaster Walter Wichell reported the story that Cole Porter had purchased the song from Fletcher, a Montana cowboy. Fletcher was finally receiving the recognition he deserved. Immediately, with assistance from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, they worked out a royalty deal for Fletcher, and Porter, who was not in good health, agreed to it. Porter would pass away in Santa Monica, California, on October 15, 1964.

     Bob Fletcher had continued to write about his cowboy experiences and in 1960 released "Free Grass to Fences," all about Montana cattle ranges. Fletcher passed on November 20, 1972, in San Diego, California. His 1936 book "Corral Dust" is hard to find but sometimes will show up on eBay. Signed copies have sold for around $100. "Free Grass to Fences" also is on eBay. First edition copies also go for a higher price. At any rate, both books are a must have and are popular among collectors. 

     If you have a moment, do a search on YouTube and check out the various recordings of "Don't Fence Me In."  The Sons of the Pioneers finally recorded their own version in 1966 at RCA, and the tune has been featured in our concerts for over fifty years now.

     Next week, I'll introduce you to a popular song with New York roots and how it became a Western standard. Happy trails, everyone!