COOL WATER

COOL WATER

Cool Water” is a song written in 1936 by Bob Nolan. It is about a man and his mule, Dan,

and a mirage in the desert.

The best-selling recorded version was done by Vaughn Monroe and The Sons of the

Pioneers in 1948. The record was on the Billboard magazine chart for 13 weeks

beginning on August 6, 1948, peaking at #9. Hank Williams recorded the song in 1948 or

1949 for the Johnny Fair Syrup Company radio show on KWKH in Shreveport,

Louisiana. The recording is available on “The Complete Hank Williams” boxed set,

released on Mercury Records in 1998.

All day I face the barren waste without the taste of water,

Cool water.

Old Dan and I with throats burned dry and souls that cry for water,

Cool water.

The night are cool and I’m a fool each stars a pool of water,

Cool water.

But with the dawn I’ll wake and yawn and carry on to water,

Cool water.

Keep a movin’ Dan, don’t you listen to him Dan, he’s a devil not a man

and he spreads the burnin’ sand with water.

Dan can’t you see that big green tree where the waters runnin’ free

and it’s waiting there for me and you.

Water, cool water.

The shadows sway and seem to say tonight we pray for water,

Cool water.

And way up there He’ll hear our prayer and show us where there’s water,

Cool Water.

Dan’s feet are sore he’s yearning for just one thing more than water,

Cool water.

Like me, I guess, he’d like to rest where there’s no quest for water,

Cool water.

Banjo Mountain