Do Not Hasten To Bid Me Adieu

Red River Valley is a folk standard which tells the story of sweethearts parting.

This much is obvious from listening to the song, regardless of which rendition of the lyrics the performer may have chosen.

There are some who hold that the Red River Valley is in North Dakota and that the song originated among British troops who were stationed in Manitoba in the late 1860s. To them it paints a picture of what life was like for a Metis (half French, half aboriginal) maiden, sad that her love is leaving her.

Many believe that the Red River Valley is one along the border of Texas and Oklahoma. At the outset, that seems to make sense as the tune is reminiscient of cowboy songs and it is often performed by Texans. In this case, by the "King of Western Swing," Bob Wills (and his Texas Playboys). To this faction, the song was originally In the Bright Mohawk Valley as written by James Kerrigan around 1896, a tune popular in New York state. History seems to indicate that it was localized by cowboys in the Red River Valley as the song traveled southward.

It seems that we are presented with a discrepancy of 30 years and a distance of about 2000 miles.

Which is it? I don't know, but I do know this -- in Texas, Bob Wills is still "The King."