DESCRIPTION:
One of "The Singing Cowboy"'s finest numbers, from the Republic picture "Down Mexico Way". Written by Jimmy Kennedy and Michael Carr.

SOUTH OF THE BORDER

South of the border, down Mexico way,
That's where I fell in love
When the stars above came out to play.
And now as I wander, my thoughts ever stray
South of the border, down Mexico way.

She was a picture in old Spanish lace.
And for a tender while
I kissed the smile upon her face.
For it was fiesta, and we were so gay
South of the border, Mexico way.

Then she sighed as she whispered 'manana'
Never dreaming that we were parting.
And I lied as I whispered 'manana'
For our tomorrow never came.

South of the border, I rode back one day
There in a veil of white by candlelight
She knelt to pray.
The mission bells told me that I mustn't stay
South of the border, down Mexico way.

Ai-ai-ai-ai (ai-ai-ai-ai)
Ai-ai-ai-ai (ai-ai-ai-ai)
Ai-ai-ai-ai
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From Wiki:

"South of the Border" is a popular song describing a trip to Mexico, written by Jimmy Kennedy and Michael Carr and published in 1939 for the film of the same name starring country star Gene Autry.[1]

In the lyrics, a man looks back with regret and pain for having lied to the woman he can't forget ("...and now as I wander, my thoughts ever stray...") and returned for too late, just as she was preparing for marriage. The lyric is in juxtaposition with the music, which swings with syncopated joy.

The song was a hit in 1939 for Shep Fields, vocal by Hal Derwin. It has been recorded by many artists, but the best-known versions are by Autry and Frank Sinatra (1953). The song was recorded in August 1961 by Patsy Cline for her album Patsy Cline Showcase and appears on Herb Alpert's 1964 album South of the Border.