{"id":3741,"date":"2018-03-15T18:45:19","date_gmt":"2018-03-15T18:45:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/?p=3741"},"modified":"2018-04-24T19:12:38","modified_gmt":"2018-04-24T18:12:38","slug":"john-wayne-western-movie-theme-songs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/john-wayne-western-movie-theme-songs\/","title":{"rendered":"John Wayne Western Movie Theme Songs"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_65 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/john-wayne-western-movie-theme-songs\/#John_Wayne_Western_Movie_Theme_Songs\" title=\"John Wayne Western Movie Theme Songs\">John Wayne Western Movie Theme Songs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/john-wayne-western-movie-theme-songs\/#How_the_West_Was_Won_%E2%80%93_Overture_The_Ken_Darby_Singers_Dave_Guard_and_the_Whiskyhill_Singers\" title=\"How the West Was Won \u2013 Overture \/ The Ken Darby Singers &amp; Dave Guard and the Whiskyhill Singers\">How the West Was Won \u2013 Overture \/ The Ken Darby Singers &amp; Dave Guard and the Whiskyhill Singers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/john-wayne-western-movie-theme-songs\/#The_Sons_of_Katie_Elder_%E2%80%93_Texas_is_a_Woman_John_Wayne\" title=\"The Sons of Katie Elder \u2013 Texas is a Woman \/ John Wayne\">The Sons of Katie Elder \u2013 Texas is a Woman \/ John Wayne<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/john-wayne-western-movie-theme-songs\/#North_to_Alaska_%E2%80%93_Opening_Credits_Title_Song_Johnny_Horton\" title=\"North to Alaska \u2013 Opening Credits Title Song \/ Johnny Horton\">North to Alaska \u2013 Opening Credits Title Song \/ Johnny Horton<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/john-wayne-western-movie-theme-songs\/#Chisum_%E2%80%93_Opening_Credits_Title_Song_William_Conrad\" title=\"Chisum \u2013 Opening Credits Title Song \/ William Conrad\">Chisum \u2013 Opening Credits Title Song \/ William Conrad<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/john-wayne-western-movie-theme-songs\/#El_Dorado_%E2%80%93_Opening_Credits_Title_Song_George_Alexander_and_the_Mellomen\" title=\"El Dorado \u2013 Opening Credits Title Song \/ George Alexander and the Mellomen\">El Dorado \u2013 Opening Credits Title Song \/ George Alexander and the Mellomen<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/john-wayne-western-movie-theme-songs\/#She_Wore_a_Yellow_Ribbon_%E2%80%93_Opening_Credits_Title_Song_Anonymous\" title=\"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon &#8211; Opening Credits Title Song \/ Anonymous\">She Wore a Yellow Ribbon &#8211; Opening Credits Title Song \/ Anonymous<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/john-wayne-western-movie-theme-songs\/#The_Alamo_%E2%80%93_The_Green_Leaves_of_Summer_The_Brothers_Four\" title=\"The Alamo \u2013 The Green Leaves of Summer \/ The Brothers Four\">The Alamo \u2013 The Green Leaves of Summer \/ The Brothers Four<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/john-wayne-western-movie-theme-songs\/#True_Grit_%E2%80%93_Opening_Credits_Title_Song_Glen_Campbell\" title=\"True Grit \u2013 Opening Credits Title Song \/ Glen Campbell\">True Grit \u2013 Opening Credits Title Song \/ Glen Campbell<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/john-wayne-western-movie-theme-songs\/#The_Searchers_%E2%80%93_Opening_Credits_Title_Song_Sons_of_the_Pioneers\" title=\"The Searchers \u2013 Opening Credits Title Song \/ Sons of the Pioneers\">The Searchers \u2013 Opening Credits Title Song \/ Sons of the Pioneers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/john-wayne-western-movie-theme-songs\/#Rio_Bravo_%E2%80%93_My_Rifle_My_Pony_and_Me_Dean_Martin_Ricky_Nelson\" title=\"Rio Bravo \u2013 My Rifle, My Pony and Me \/ Dean Martin &amp; Ricky Nelson\">Rio Bravo \u2013 My Rifle, My Pony and Me \/ Dean Martin &amp; Ricky Nelson<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"John_Wayne_Western_Movie_Theme_Songs\"><\/span>John Wayne Western Movie Theme Songs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This is a list in ascending order of some of my favorite John Wayne western movie theme songs and tunes which I hope is going to stir a debate or two amongst JW fans out there.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s one feature that I nearly always mention in passing when writing a review of a John Wayne movie, namely the music. There have been some great soundtracks written over the years for his films, but it\u2019s the theme tunes that tend to catch the ear.<\/p>\n<h2 data-css=\"tve-u-1622a670229\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_the_West_Was_Won_%E2%80%93_Overture_The_Ken_Darby_Singers_Dave_Guard_and_the_Whiskyhill_Singers\"><\/span>How the West Was Won \u2013 Overture \/ The Ken Darby Singers &amp; Dave Guard and the Whiskyhill Singers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"tve_image_frame\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"tve_image wp-image-3745\" title=\"How West \" src=\"\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/How-West-1.jpg\" alt=\"How The West Was On image\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"3745\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/How-West-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/How-West-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/How-West-1-550x550.jpg 550w, https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/How-West-1-65x65.jpg 65w, https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/How-West-1-220x220.jpg 220w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m assuming cinema audiences back in 1962 would not have heard the main overture unless they were attending a roadshow Cinerama screening of this epic movie but I\u2019m including it here because, apart from a magnificent main theme by Alfred Newman, it features an intriguing medley of traditional songs such as I\u2019m Bound for the Promised Land, Shenandoah, Endless Prairie and Ox Driver.<\/p>\n<p>Not strictly a full-blown JW vehicle either, to be honest, but he does get to appear in the Civil War sequence as General Sherman, considered by some to be the best part of the film.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m afraid I can\u2019t recommend too many of the other songs that feature in the film, which eventually turns into the most expensive episode of the Debbie Reynolds Show ever made. Love that main theme though.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"tve_image_frame\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"tve_image wp-image-3752\" title=\"The-Sons-of-Katie-Elder-Movie-1\" src=\"\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/The-Sons-of-Katie-Elder-Movie-1.jpg\" alt=\"Sons of Katie Elder poster image\" width=\"1024\" height=\"799\" data-id=\"3752\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/The-Sons-of-Katie-Elder-Movie-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/The-Sons-of-Katie-Elder-Movie-1-705x550.jpg 705w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 data-css=\"tve-u-1622a7b5ac6\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Sons_of_Katie_Elder_%E2%80%93_Texas_is_a_Woman_John_Wayne\"><\/span>The Sons of Katie Elder \u2013 Texas is a Woman \/ John Wayne<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Not so much a song, more a taster for what was to come when JW recorded America \u2013 Why I Love Her a few years later.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m fairly sure it didn\u2019t actually feature in the main film, but came as a bonus on the Elmer Bernstein sound track album. I\u2019m aware that Bernstein wrote the melody behind the song, but not too sure who actually wrote the lyrics.<\/p>\n<p>I actually prefer the subtlety of JW delivery on Texas Is A Woman to the somewhat overblown approach taken on the America album, but maybe that\u2019s just me.<\/p>\n<p>I understand that the lyrics are based on some of Martha Hyer\u2019s dialogue from the film, so I guess strictly speaking they should be attributed to one of the three scriptwriters, William H. Wright, Allan Weiss or Harry Essex.<\/p>\n<p>As a matter of interest, other vocal renditions for John Wayne Westerns that never made it into the films themselves include The Sons of Katie Elder by Johnny Cash, which can be found alongside Texas Is A Woman on the soundtrack album.<\/p>\n<p>The Burt Bacharach \/ Hal David song for The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, recorded by Gene Pitney, similarly didn\u2019t make it into the actual movie.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s also a song entitled The Comancheros and inspired by the film which was recorded by one Claude King, and can be found on a limited issue of the original soundtrack.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"tve_image_frame\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"tve_image wp-image-3753\" title=\"North To Alaska\" src=\"\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/North-To-Alaska-1.jpg\" alt=\"North To Alaska poster image\" width=\"1024\" height=\"794\" data-id=\"3753\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/North-To-Alaska-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/North-To-Alaska-1-709x550.jpg 709w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 data-css=\"tve-u-1622a83a809\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"North_to_Alaska_%E2%80%93_Opening_Credits_Title_Song_Johnny_Horton\"><\/span>North to Alaska \u2013 Opening Credits Title Song \/ Johnny Horton<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>North to Alaska \u2013 Opening Credits Title Song \/ Johnny HortonThere are a lot of films that sometimes don\u2019t deserve the music written for them, and this is a case in point.<\/p>\n<p>I found it hard to like the movie but Johnny Horton\u2019s rendition of the jaunty main theme tune, written by Mike Philips \u2013 the soundtrack was composed by Lionel Newman and Harry Sukman \u2013 gets the film off to a great start.<\/p>\n<p>Then the film begins and it\u2019s downhill all the way from there.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"tve_image_frame\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"tve_image wp-image-3755\" title=\"chisum\" src=\"\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/chisum-1.jpg\" alt=\"Chisum John Wayne poster\" width=\"1024\" height=\"772\" data-id=\"3755\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/chisum-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/chisum-1-728x550.jpg 728w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 data-css=\"tve-u-1622a89c18f\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Chisum_%E2%80%93_Opening_Credits_Title_Song_William_Conrad\"><\/span>Chisum \u2013 Opening Credits Title Song \/ William Conrad<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The beginning to this film resembles very closely the credits for El Dorado, both movies using a montage of paintings to accompany their main themes<\/p>\n<p>William Conrad, the somewhat portly actor who rose to eventual fame as TV detective Cannon, here recites his lyrics whilst a gathering of anonymous studio singers provide the singing duties.<\/p>\n<p>Andrew J. Fenady wrote the lyrics for Dominic Frontiere\u2019s composition but, musically speaking, Chisum is noted more for the fact that John Mitchum, who appeared in the film, persuaded Duke to record the album America \u2013 Why I Love Her. And that\u2019s a whole other story.<\/p>\n<h2 data-css=\"tve-u-1622a8bfe00\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"El_Dorado_%E2%80%93_Opening_Credits_Title_Song_George_Alexander_and_the_Mellomen\"><\/span>El Dorado \u2013 Opening Credits Title Song \/ George Alexander and the Mellomen<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>I think I\u2019ve already mentioned somewhere else that this song was voted one of the best cowboy movie themes by the Western Writers of America Association.<\/p>\n<p>I also said it was a pretty cheesy song, which it is, but on reflection that doesn\u2019t make it a bad song. Just cheesy.<\/p>\n<p>George Alexander sings it so seriously \u2013 lyrics by John Gabriel and music by Nelson Riddle &#8211; you almost believe everything he says is true.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"tve_image_frame\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"tve_image wp-image-3759\" title=\"She Wore A Yellow Ribbon\" src=\"\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/She_Wore_a_Yellow_Ribbon-1.jpg\" alt=\"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon poster image John Wayne\" width=\"1024\" height=\"788\" data-id=\"3759\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/She_Wore_a_Yellow_Ribbon-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/She_Wore_a_Yellow_Ribbon-1-715x550.jpg 715w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 data-css=\"tve-u-1622a8e4eaa\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"She_Wore_a_Yellow_Ribbon_%E2%80%93_Opening_Credits_Title_Song_Anonymous\"><\/span>She Wore a Yellow Ribbon &#8211; Opening Credits Title Song \/ Anonymous<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>You think initially that the music to the opening credits is going to be orchestral only, then in comes the rousingly sung lyrics to the song She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, which turns into a medley with the addition of the equally exhilarating The Gal I Left Behind.<\/p>\n<p>The soundtrack credits go to Richard Hagemen who pulled together a number of traditional early American pioneer songs for this and other John Ford films, including Stagecoach and Fort Apache.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"tve_image_frame\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"tve_image wp-image-3761\" title=\"The Alamo\" src=\"\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Alamo-1.jpg\" alt=\"The Alamo scene John Wayne\" width=\"1023\" height=\"467\" data-id=\"3761\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Alamo-1.jpg 1023w, https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Alamo-1-728x332.jpg 728w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1023px) 100vw, 1023px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 data-css=\"tve-u-1622ab39411\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Alamo_%E2%80%93_The_Green_Leaves_of_Summer_The_Brothers_Four\"><\/span>The Alamo \u2013 The Green Leaves of Summer \/ The Brothers Four<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Not strictly a JW theme tune, as the main title music is an orchestral combination of De Guella and Green Leaves of Summer.<\/p>\n<p>The Brothers Four had quite a considerable hit with the latter which, with lyrics by Paul Webster and music of course by Dimitri Tiomkin, was released in 1961 and nominated for an Academy Award.<\/p>\n<p>I think this might be the most widely recorded of any John Wayne associated film songs, and also probably the most successful commercially. It\u2019s certainly one of the more memorable songs from any of Duke\u2019s films, and turned up nearly fifty years later as the main theme to Quentin Tarantino\u2019s wartime epic, Inglorious Basterds.<\/p>\n<p>You can\u2019t keep a good song down, that\u2019s for sure.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"tve_image_frame\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"tve_image wp-image-3763\" title=\"true grit - \" src=\"\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/true-grit-1.jpg\" alt=\"True Grit JOhn Wayne movie\" width=\"700\" height=\"519\" data-id=\"3763\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 data-css=\"tve-u-1622aa6047f\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"True_Grit_%E2%80%93_Opening_Credits_Title_Song_Glen_Campbell\"><\/span>True Grit \u2013 Opening Credits Title Song \/ Glen Campbell<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Another song I categorized as cheesy, but a good one just the same. The much missed Mr. Campbell, who also appears in the film, sings lyrics by Don Black, and the music is by Elmer Bernstein, here supplying a memorable musical score.<\/p>\n<p>If memory serves me correctly it was quite a big hit back in the late 1960s in both America and the UK and it\u2019s certainly one of my all-time favourite JW theme tunes.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"tve_image_frame\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"tve_image wp-image-3766\" title=\"The Searchers\" src=\"\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/The-Searchers-1.jpg\" alt=\"The Searchers scene with John Wayne\" width=\"1024\" height=\"533\" data-id=\"3766\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/The-Searchers-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/The-Searchers-1-728x379.jpg 728w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 data-css=\"tve-u-1622aa95291\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Searchers_%E2%80%93_Opening_Credits_Title_Song_Sons_of_the_Pioneers\"><\/span>The Searchers \u2013 Opening Credits Title Song \/ Sons of the Pioneers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The opening music starts initially with a snatch of Max Steiner\u2019s score for the film then segues into the song Ride Away, written by Stan Jones.<\/p>\n<p>Jones also wrote Ghost Riders in the Sky and the theme to the TV series Cheyenne, among many others. There\u2019s actually four verses in the song but we only get to hear the first, after which the film begins and the beautiful melody, Martha\u2019s Theme, kicks in on the soundtrack.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a great combination of Steiner, Sons of the Pioneers and traditional music that cannot be equaled. A truly magnificent musical opening to a truly magnificent film.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"tve_image_frame\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"tve_image wp-image-3768\" title=\"rio bravo\" src=\"\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/rio-bravo-1.jpg\" alt=\"Rio Bravo movie poster with John Wayne\" width=\"1024\" height=\"650\" data-id=\"3768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/rio-bravo-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/rio-bravo-1-728x462.jpg 728w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 data-css=\"tve-u-1622aad416e\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rio_Bravo_%E2%80%93_My_Rifle_My_Pony_and_Me_Dean_Martin_Ricky_Nelson\"><\/span>Rio Bravo \u2013 My Rifle, My Pony and Me \/ Dean Martin &amp; Ricky Nelson<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>I am aware that the song Rio Bravo was recorded by Dean Martin only, and the tune you hear at the beginning of the film is an instrumental, but I\u2019m talking about My Rifle, Pony and Me, which is actually my number one favorite piece of music from any John Wayne film &#8211; ever.<\/p>\n<p>The sequence in which Dean and Ricky serenade Duke and Walter Brennan in the sheriff\u2019s office always leaves me with a big grin on my face every time I watch it, mainly because Wayne himself appears to be enjoying it so much himself.<\/p>\n<p>The song, with lyrics by Paul Webster and music of course by the incomparable Dimitri Tiomkin, was first used in the opening credits of Red River but, brilliant though that is, I prefer the version in Rio Bravo.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, I like the song so much I\u2019ve stated that I want it to be played at my funeral, which is why conversely my wife hates it. There\u2019s no accounting for taste. And you get Cindy for an encore as well.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m also going to cover in later articles my favourite orchestral soundtracks to JW Westerns, as well as songs and themes from non-Western JW movies at some point. Meanwhile, I hope this article inspires some of you to put your own \u2018mix tape\u2019 together of some, if not all, of the songs mentioned here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>John Wayne Western Movie Theme Songs This is a list in ascending order of some of my favorite John Wayne western movie theme songs and tunes which I hope is going to stir a debate or two amongst JW fans &#8230; <a title=\"John Wayne Western Movie Theme Songs\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/john-wayne-western-movie-theme-songs\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about John Wayne Western Movie Theme Songs\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3745,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[38,4,54,90,27],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3741"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3741"}],"version-history":[{"count":31,"href":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3741\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3777,"href":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3741\/revisions\/3777"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3745"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3741"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3741"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3741"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}