Red River Valley is a traditional folk song that tells the story of a cowboy who bids farewell to his sweetheart, leaving her behind in the Red River Valley as he heads off on a journey. The lyrics reflect the melancholy of parting and the longing for reunion, as the cowboy promises to return to his beloved someday. The song's melody is haunting and plaintive, evoking the vastness of the American West and the emotional depth of the narrator's feelings. "Red River Valley" has been passed down through generations and has become a beloved symbol of the cowboy culture and the enduring themes of love, loss, and longing in American folk music.
Letter notes
G C° (E° C) G E° E° (E° C) G D° E°
(D° C) (C° E) (C° G) E C G C°
(E° C) G C° E° (G° C) F F° E°
(D° D) G B G D° G° F°
(E° C) G E° D° (C° C) G D° E°
(G° C) (F° F) (F° A) F C A A
(G D) F B C° (D° D) F E° D°
(C° C) E G B C°
Number notation
5 1° (3° 1) 5 3° 3° (3° 1) 5 2° 3°
(2° 1) (1° 3) (1° 5) 3 1 5 1°
(3° 1) 5 1° 3° (5° 1) 4 4° 3°
(2° 2) 5 7 5 2° 5° 4°
(3° 1) 5 3° 2° (1° 1) 5 2° 3°
(5° 1) (4° 4) (4° 6) 4 1 6 6
(5 2) 4 7 1° (2° 2) 4 3° 2°
(1° 1) 3 5 7 1°