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          When Cool Water was first published back in the 1930’s, the publisher had taken it upon himself to change a lyric line. This infuriated Bob at the time! He’d originally written it as a poem and had set it to music years later. Bob said, “You know, I made the publisher pull all the remaining copies off the market until he fixed the problem”. He explained, “The lyrics go:

 

Dan, can you see

That big green tree

Where the water’s running free

And it’s waiting there for me

And you.”

 

          Bob continued, “And you is just a little addition. It’s not supposed to rhyme with anything. The publisher took it upon himself to change it from me and you to you and me and I was very upset about it. Unfortunately, before we could pull the sheet music off the market, a lot of it had been sold and, as the years went by, people like Rex Allen and Marty Robbins and a few others recorded it with those lyrics reversed.” Then he smiled, “However, as the royalties came rolling in, I became more tolerant.” (Bob Nolan to Dick Goodman)

 

We are greatly indebted to OJ Sikes (New Jersey), Roberto Costa (Brazil), Anne & Peter Greb (Germany), Michelle Sundin (Texas), Bob Serkey (NJ), Larry Hopper (NJ), John Fullerton (MO) and Dick Goodman (AZ) for sending us so many examples of Cool Water. Thanks, too, to all the artists who generously allowed us to use their recordings. A special thanks to OJ and Roberto for spending so many hours cleaning old tracks for us!

 

 

Cool Water

    (The last recording was added on July 19, 2008)

His brother, Earl, said that Bob Nolan had written Cool Water as a poem in the tenth grade in high school in Tucson. Although "water" was part of the title, he was writing about a mirage and a hopeless thirst. The song is still being recorded today because of its universal appeal to the senses.

 

 The Gatlin Brothers

 Dick Goodman & The Westernaires

 Lorne Greene

 Wilbert Harrison

 Hawking Brothers

 Jim Hendricks

 Peter Hill

 Frank Ifield

 Burl Ives

 Cliff Japhet

 Herb Jeffries

 Henrik Johansen's Jazzband

 Tom Jones 

 Sleepy LeBeef

 Frankie Laine (1)

 Frankie Laine (2)

 The Longines Symphonette

 Nellie Lutcher

 Keith Manifold

 Grady Martin

 George Melachrino

 The Mills Brothers

 Joni Mitchell - Willie Nelson

 Vaughn Monroe

 Patsy Montana

 The New Pioneers

 Bob Nolan 1953 RCA

 Bob Nolan 1976 & Marty Robbins

 Bob Nolan 1978 Elektra

 The Norman Luboff Choir

 Dave Pell Octet

 Jim Owen

 Cactus Pryor

 The Rangers (German)

 Johnny Ray

 Red River Dave & Sula's Texas Rangers

 The Replacements

 The Rhythm Wranglers

 Tex Ritter & Stan Kenton

 Tex Ritter & the Dinning Sisters

 Marty Robbins

 Marty Robbins at the Fremont

 Jimmie Rodgers

 Roy Rogers & Dale Evans

 Ronny (German)

 Rusty Richards & American    Cowboys