This was a monster hit for Bing and the Andrews Sisters during World War II. Bing entered the studio on July 25, 1944, without having seen nor heard the song. Within 30 minutes he recorded the song, which then sold more than a million copies and topped the Billboard charts for 8 weeks in 1944-45. This song was also the first recording to occupy the #1 position on the original country Billboard chart first issued in 1945.
Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above,
Don't fence me in.
Let me ride through the wide open country that I love,
Don't fence me in.
Let me be by myself in the evenin' breeze,
And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees,
Send me off forever but I ask you please,
Don't fence me in.
Just turn me loose, let me straddle my old saddle
Underneath the western skies.
On my Cayuse, let me wander over yonder
Till I see the mountains rise.
I want to ride to the ridge where the west commences
And gaze at the moon till I lose my senses
And I can't look at hovels and I can't stand fences
Don't fence me in.
Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies,
Don't fence me in.
Let me ride through the wide open country that I love,
Don't fence me in.
Let me be by myself in the evenin' breeze
And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees
Send me off forever but I ask you please,
Don't fence me in
Just turn me loose, let me straddle my old saddle
Underneath the western skies
On my Cayuse, let me wander over yonder
Till I see the mountains rise.
Ba boo ba ba boo.
I want to ride to the ridge where the west commences
And gaze at the moon till I lose my senses
And I can't look at hobbles and I can't stand fences
Don't fence me in.
No.
Poppa, don't you fence me in.
Porter wrote two verses intended to introduce the main chorus that were never recorded by Bing:
Wild Cat Kelly, looking mighty pale Wild Cat Kelly, back again in town
Was standing by the sheriff's side
And when the sheriff said, "I'm sending you to jail"
Wild Cat raised his head and cried:
(chorus)
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: