Meaning of “Deep in the Heart of Texas”

“Deep in the Heart of Texas” is a famed American song that has over the years been performed by a myriad of famous singers and bands. The lyrics of the song praise of Texas (also known as The Lone Star State). Texas is the second largest state in the United States. Its capital is Austin.

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Perry Como's Deep in the Heart of Texas at Lyrics.org.

Lyrics of Deep in the Heart of Texas.

Facts about “Deep in the Heart of Texas”

  • This legendary song was written by Don Swander and June Hershey, with the former writing the song’s melody and the latter writing its lyrics.
  • The song was first released in 1942 by several artists, including Perry Como (also known as Mr. C) alongside Ted Weems and His Orchestra, Alvino Rey and Bing Crosby alongside Woody Herman. All the various versions of the song that came out in 1942 performed very well on the Billboard charts. For example Perry Como’s version made it to number 1. Crosby’s version also peaked at number 3.
  • The title of the song was derived from the famous 1942 film Deep in the Heart of Texas starring, among others, Johnny “Mack” Brown and country music singer Tex Ritter. In the film, Ritter, who plays the role of Brent Gordon, famously sings the song along with the Jimmy Wakely Trio. Ritter’s singing of the song is not only considered the highlight of the film, but also the reason the film became famous.
  • Believe it or not, during the Second World War, this song was banned by the BBC from being played on certain programs that factory workers could easily hear while working. According to the British authorities, they were forced to ban the song not because of its lyrics (because its lyrics are 100% clean and innocent) but because they felt overall the song was so catchy that if factory workers heard it while working, it had the potential of easily distracting them from their doing their jobs effectively.

Below is Perry Como’s famous version of “Deep in the Heart of Texas”:

 

What are the other famous versions of this song besides the versions by Perry Como and Bing Crosby?

Here are some of the most famous versions of “Deep in the Heart of Texas”:

  • Horace Heidt’s in 1942.
  • Tommy Tucker’s in 1942.
  • Ray Charles’ in 1960.
  • George Strait’ in 2003.

Which films and TV series have the song appeared in?

Besides its famous appearance in the 1942 Western film Deep in the Heart of Texas, the song has appeared in the following films and television shows:

  • 1942’s Heart of the Rio Grande starring Smiley Burnette, Gene Autry, Edith Fellow and Fay McKenzie.
  • The 1944’s Wing and a Prayer starring Dana Andrews, Don Ameche and William Eythe.
  • 1950’s I’ll Get By starring William Lundigan, June Haver and Gloria DeHaven.
  • 1952’s With a Song in My Heart starring the likes of Robert Wagner, Susan Hayward and Rory Calhoun.
  • 1985’s Pee-wee’s Big Adventure starring Paul Reuben playing the role of Pee-wee Herman.
  • The Big Bang Theory‘s Sheldon Cooper sings the song in the show’s episode entitled The Bus Pants Utilization.

Here is the Big Bang Theory character Sheldon Cooper singing “Deep in the Heart of Texas”:

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may also like...