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New San Antonio Rose
Deep within my heart lies a melody ames Robert Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975)
A song of old San Antone Jwas an American Western swing musician, songwriter,
Where in dreams I live with a memory and bandleader. Considered by music authorities as the
Beneath the stars all alone co-founder of Western swing, he was known widely as the
King of Western Swing (although Spade Cooley
self-promoted the moniker “King of Western Swing” from
It was there I found beside the Alamo
Enchantment strange as the blue up above 1942 to 1969).
A moonlit pass that only she would know Wills formed several bands and played radio stations
Still hears my broken song of love around the South and West until he formed the Texas
Playboys in 1934 with Wills on fiddle, Tommy Duncan
Moon in all your splendor know only my heart on piano and vocals, rhythm guitarist June Whalin, tenor
Call back my rose, rose of San Antone banjoist Johnnie Lee Wills, and Kermit Whalin, who
Lips so sweet and tender like petals falling apart played steel guitar and bass. The band played regularly on
Speak once again of my love, my own. Tulsa, Oklahoma radio station KVOO and added Leon
McAuliffe on steel guitar, pianist Al Stricklin,
Broken song, empty words I know drummer Smokey Dacus, and a horn section that
Still live in my heart all alone expanded the band’s sound. Wills favored jazz-like
For that moonlit pass by the Alamo arrangements and the band found national popularity
into the 1940s with such hits as “Steel Guitar Rag”, “New
And Rose, my Rose of San Antone San Antonio Rose”, “Smoke On The Water”, “Stars And
Stripes On Iwo Jima”, and “New Spanish Two Step”.
Deep within my heart lies a melody,
A song of old San Antone Wills and the Texas Playboys recorded with several
Where in dreams I live with a memory publishers and companies, including Vocalion, Okeh,
Beneath the stars all alone Columbia, and MGM, frequently moving. In 1950, he had
two top 10 hits, “Ida Red Likes the Boogie” and “Faded
It was there I found beside the Alamo Love”, which were his last hits for a decade. Throughout
Enchantment strange as the blue up above the 1950s, he struggled with poor health and tenuous
A moonlit pass that only she would know finances, but continued to perform frequently despite the
decline in popularity of his earlier music as rock and roll
Still hears my broken song of love took over. Wills had a heart attack in 1962 and a second
one the next year, which forced him to disband the
Moon in all your splendor know only my heart Playboys, although Wills continued to perform solo.
Call back my rose, rose of San Antone
Lips so sweet and tender like petals falling apart The Country Music Hall of Fame inducted Wills in 1968
Speak once again of my love, my own. and the Texas State Legislature honored him for his
contribution to American music. In 1972, Wills
Broken song, empty words I know accepted a citation from the American Society of
Still live in my heart all alone Composers, Authors and Publishers in Nashville. He was
For that moonlit pass by the Alamo recording an album with fan Merle Haggard in 1973 when
And Rose, my Rose of San Antone a stroke left him comatose until his death in 1975. The
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Wills and the Texas
Playboys in 1999. In addition to being inducted into
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Wills the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1968, Wills was
inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
New San Antonio Rose lyrics © Warner Chappell in 1970, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Early
Music, Inc
Influence category along with the Texas Playboys in
1999, and received the Grammy Lifetime
To listen follow this link...
Achievement Award in 2007.
(Source Wikipedia)
48 www.writeawaymag.co.uk
