New Mexico State Cowboy Song

Under New Mexico Skies Adopted: March 25, 2009

Under New Mexico Skies

by Syd Masters

 FIRST VERSE:
   Where the Piñon Mesa rolls
   And the campfire cures your woes
   Watchin' the sly roadrunner flee
   On the tail of an autumn breeze
   I'm leanin' against a juniper bole
   As the creek water takes a stroll

 CHORUS:
   That's where you'll find me
   Where the big back country lies
   There the cowboy's free to ride
   Out under New Mexico skies

 SECOND VERSE:
   Where the lean jack hops along
   And the coyote sings his song
   Up high the rocky spires shade
   The sunny desert days
   I'm leanin' against adobe walls of old
   Their stories to be told

 CHORUS:
   That's where you'll find me
   Where the big back country lies
   There the cowboy's free to ride
   Out under New Mexico skies

 THIRD VERSE:
   Just me and a covey of gamblin' quail
   Lopin' down the Turquoise Trail

 CHORUS:
   That's where you'll find me
   Where the big back country lies
   There the cowboy's free to ride
   Out under New Mexico Skies."

Adoption of the New Mexico State Cowboy Song

In 2006, New Mexico State Representative Gloria C. Vaughn, Alamogordo, introduced House Bill No. 232 (HB 232) in the House of Representatives. HB 232 proposed that the song "New Mexico,” by Calvin Boles and R.D. Blankenship be named as New Mexico’s official cowboy song. If it was adopted it would have become the fifth song to reach official status in the state, behind the original state song, "O, Fair New Mexico," (1917), the Spanish language song (1971), the state ballad (1989), and the state bilingual song (1995).

It would seem that a Boles’ song was a natural for officialdom.

Calvin Boles, who died in 2004, had co-authored the proposed song and was something of a local legend in the area.

An Alamogordo resident, he founded the Yucca Record Company there in 1958. Yucca Record Company released 237 singles including a couple of records by an El Paso fellow named Bobby Fuller of later "I Fought the Law” fame!

Calvin’s Band, The Rocket City Playboys, was busy too. It recorded eight albums. Calvin’s wife Betty played base guitar in the band.

Betty Boles contacted her State Representative, Gloria Vaughn, about memorializing the work of her deceased husband and HB 232 was born.

HB 232 was approved in the House, but not without some dissent. Three representatives nixed the proposal. Representative Candy Spence Ezzell, Roswell, was concerned that the specific song should be adopted without wider input.

"I am a cowgirl, and I have not been surveyed on this, and I think there are a lot of other cowboys throughout the state who might want some input into this.”

The bill moved on to the State Senate and there it died. At the end of the 2006 legislative session, New Mexico was still left without an official state cowboy song.

Representative Vaughn was back in 2007 however. Again, she offered "New Mexico” as the official state cowboy song in House Bill No. 81 (HB 81). But this year Rep. Vaughn could not even persuade the House to vote on her bill.

At this point Rep. Vaughn stepped back and, evidently, rethought her approach. On the day after the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee signed off on HB 81 "Without Recommendation,” Rep Vaughn introduced House Memorial No. 70 (HM 70) calling for a competition to determine an official cowboy song for New Mexico.

HM 70 set the stage for adoption of "Under New Mexico Skies" in 2009.

A MEMORIAL
REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO MUSIC COMMISSION TO CREATE A
COMPETITION FOR COMPOSERS OF A STATE COWBOY SONG.

WHEREAS, a member of the house of representatives in the year 2007 offered the state an opportunity to adopt an official state cowboy song; and

WHEREAS, the state has a state song, a state ballad and a state bilingual song; and

WHEREAS, a good deal of the controversy surrounding adoption of an official state cowboy song arose because of competition among composers who wanted to be known as the composer of the state cowboy song; and

WHEREAS, the members may be able to agree on declaring an official state cowboy song so long as the process for selecting such a song is less arbitrary than by a vote of a majority of the members of the legislature, whose tastes and musical abilities may vary; and

WHEREAS, the governor has created a state music commission;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico music commission conduct a competition for a New Mexico cowboy song; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the competition be open to any person born in New Mexico or who has lived in New Mexico consecutively for the past twenty years; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the competition accept entries for at least six months prior to selection and that the winner of the competition be announced at least a month before the start of a legislative session; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a jury selected by the New Mexico music commission select the New Mexico cowboy song from among the entries, based on a majority vote; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that entrants in the competition agree to release to the state any rights to the song composed for the competition; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Mexico music commission present the New Mexico cowboy song to a future legislative session for consideration as the official state cowboy song;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the New Mexico music commission, the governor and each country-western radio station in the state.

The New Mexico Music Commission accepted the charge requested of them by HM 70 and, on November 15, 2007, Representative Vaughn kicked off the competition at the Western Music Association's International Music Festival in Albuquerque.

A competition deadline was set as November 14, 2008 and it was requested that all entrants submit cds or tapes, with proof of copyright, to the New Mexico Music Commission by that date.

According to Polly Summar at the Albuquerque Journal, specific criteria had to be met that included

Traditionality — Does the song fit within the genre of cowboy song?
Quality — Is the song good enough to represent New Mexico in perpetuity?
Relevance to New Mexico — Does the song adequately extol the beauty and benefits of our fair state?
Originality — Does the song have a unique and original melody and lyrics?

By the end of November, 2008, a song had been chosen.

The song was chosen by a small group of intrepid members of the New Mexico Music Commission who gathered at the Bataan Memorial Building in Santa Fe Wednesday morning, armed with chocolate and cookies. They listened to recordings from 26 entrants in the contest.

Polly Summar, The Albuquerque Journal, November 20, 2007

"New Mexico," by Calvin Boles and R.D. Blankenship, had fallen by the wayside and Representative Vaughn brought the song selected by the New Mexico Music Commission before the legislature.

Introduced on January 28, 2009, House Bill No. 389 (HB 389) proposed that "Under New Mexico Skies," by Syd Masters be named New Mexico's official state cowboy song.

With the backing of the New Mexico Music Commission, HB389 sailed through the legislature and was signed into law by Governor Bill Richardson on March 25, 2009.

New Mexico Law

The following information was excerpted from the The New Mexico Statutes, Chapter 12, Article 3, Section 12-3-19.

CHAPTER 12 Miscellaneous Public Affairs Matters
ARTICLE 3 State Seal, Song and Symbols
SECTION 12-3-19

12-3-19. State cowboy song.

The words and music of "Under New Mexico Skies", written by Syd Masters, are declared to be the official state cowboy song. The words of the state cowboy song are as follows:

"(first verse)
Where the Piñon Mesa rolls
And the campfire cures your woes
Watchin' the sly roadrunner flee

On the tail of an autumn breeze
I'm leanin' against a juniper bole
As the creek water takes a stroll

(chorus)
That's where you'll find me
Where the big back country lies
There the cowboy's free to ride
Out under New Mexico skies

(second verse)
Where the lean jack hops along
And the coyote sings his song
Up high the rocky spires shade
The sunny desert days
I'm leanin' against adobe walls of old
Their stories to be told

(chorus)
That's where you'll find me
Where the big back country lies
There the cowboy's free to ride
Out under New Mexico skies

(third verse)
Just me and a covey of gamblin' quail
Lopin' down the Turquoise Trail

(chorus)
That's where you'll find me
Where the big back country lies
There the cowboy's free to ride
Out under New Mexico skies."

Sources...

New Mexico Music Commission <http://www.newmexicomusic.org> Accessed January 9, 2011.
The High Plains Journal. State cowboy song--New Mexico now has an official state cowboy song April 29, 2009 <http://www.hpj.com/archives/2009/apr09/apr27/Statecowboysong--NewMexicon.cfm> Accessed January 9, 2011.
The Boston Globe. Saddle song: NM adopts 1st state cowboy tune March 25, 2009 <http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2009/03/25/saddle_song_nm_adopts_1st_state_cowboy_tune/> Accessed January 9, 2011.
Santa Fe New Mexican. Lawmaker Backs State Cowboy Song Thursday, February 9, 2006. Page C-4.
Santa Fe New Mexican. Legislative Roundup: State cowboy song Saturday, February 11, 2006. Page A-7.
The Albuquerque Journal. This Here State's Got Itself a Tune November 20, 2008 <http://www.abqjournal.com/news/metro/20104479780newsmetro11-20-08.htm> Accessed January 9, 2011.
Alamogordo Daily News. Music man has died - Calvin Boles <http://www.alamogordonews.com/artman/publish//article_5650.shtml> Accessed November 1, 2004.
New Mexico Legislature. House Bill No. 232 <http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/_session.aspx?Chamber=H&LegType=B&LegNo=232&year=06> Accessed January 9, 2011.
New Mexico Legislature. House Bill No. 81 <http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/_session.aspx?Chamber=H&LegType=B&LegNo=81&year=07> Accessed January 9, 2011.
New Mexico Legislature. House Memorial No. 70 <http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/_session.aspx?Chamber=H&LegType=M&LegNo=70&year=07> Accessed January 9, 2011.
New Mexico Legislature. House Bill No. 389 <http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/_session.aspx?chamber=H&legtype=B&legno=%20389&year=09> Accessed January 9, 2011.
New Mexico Statutes. Chapter 12, Article 3, Section 12-3-19 <http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/statutes.aspx> Accessed January 9, 2011.

Additional Information

Bill Signing: Watch video of Governor Bill Richardson signing 2009 House Bill No. 389 naming "Under New Mexico Skies," by Syd Masters, the official state cowboy song.

State Songs: New Mexico Secretary of State: Sheet music and recordings of New Mexico state songs. Unfortunately neither are yet available for the official cowboy song.

Syd Masters and the Swing Riders: Official website of Syd Masters, composer of "Under New Mexico Skies," and his band the Swing Riders.

New Mexico Music Commisssion: Official website of the New Mexico Music Commission.

Western Music Association: Official website of the Western Music Association.

State songs: Complete list of state songs from NETSTATE.COM.

State symbols: Complete list of New Mexico state symbols from NETSTATE.COM.

Sunset
on the Rio Grand

Sunset on the Rio Grand, Syd Masters & The Swing Riders. Audio CD (June 8, 1999) Original Release Date: June 8, 1999. Includes the New Mexico state cowboy song, "Under New Mexico Skies."

The first time I heard this group was at a western swing dance, so I thought they limited themselves to swing. They don’t . The opener on this CD, “Swingin’ at the Cowboy Dance,” swings, as does “Won’t You Ride in my Little Red Wagon,” but most of the material is good ol’ cowboy music.

Titles include Gene’s “Cowboy Blues” and Roy’s “When I Camped Under the Stars, “ as well as Syd’s excellent originals (and my favorite), the lightly swinging “Under New Mexico Skies” and his beautiful ballad, “Cottonwood Snow,” among others. There’s much more, and this CD illustrates why Syd and his Riders are one of the most popular bands in New Mexico. -- The Western Way, Spring 2002.

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