"Dont Fence Me In"

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Don't Fence Me In is a popular American song with music by Cole Porter and lyrics by Robert Fletcher and Cole Porter. Originally written in 1934 for Adios, Argentina, an unproduced 20th Century Fox 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.

Don't Fence Me In
Words and music by Cole Porter© & Robert Fletcher, 
©1942, from the film Hollywood Canteen*


[C]Wildcat [F]Kelly looking [C]mighty pale, 
Was standing by the sheriff's [G7]side
And [C]when the [F]sheriff said "I'm [C]sending you to
jail, "
[G7]Wildcat raised his head and [C]cried:
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Chorus:
[C]Oh [G7]give me [C]land, lots of [Am]land
Under [C]starry skies a[Am]bove.
[C]Don't [F]Fence Me [G]In.
Let me [G]ride through the [G7]wide open
[G]Country that I [G7]love.
[G]Don't [G7]Fence Me [C]In.
Let me [C]be by myself in the evening [C7]breeze,
[F]Listen to the murmur of the cottonwood [Dm7]trees.
[C]Send me off for[C7]ever, 
but I ask [F]you, [C7]please[F],
[C]Don't [G7]Fence Me [C]In.

[C7]Just turn me [F]loose, let me straddle my old
saddle
Underneath the western [C]skies.
[C7]On my [F]cayuse let me wander over yonder
Till I see the mountains [C]rise.
[G]I [G7]want to [C]ride to the ridge 
where the west com[C7]mences,
[F]Gaze at the moon until I lose my [Dm7]senses.
[C]Can't look at [C7]hobbles 
and I can't [F]stand [C7]fen[F]ces.
[C]Don't [G7]Fence Me [C]In.
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Wild cat Kelly back again in town, 
was sitting by his sweetheart's side, 
And when his sweetheart said, 
"Come on let's settle down."
Wild Cat raised his head and cried: