Adios Mi Corazon - Spanish is the Loving Tongue

Words and Music by : Charles Badger Clarke
Arranged and adapted by:
Copyright

Originally published in Charles Badger Clark, Sun and Saddle Leather, Boston, 1915; later included in N. Howard Thorp, Songs of the Cowboys, Boston, 1921. Music: unknown composer; most commonly used melody from the singing of Richard Dyer-Bennett (learned from Sam Eskin), transcribed in The People's Songs Bulletin (Vol. 3, No. 11).

Recorded by  

 

Chad Mitchell Trio KS-3313, FE1438CD, 45507-10039
The Limeliters LSP2671, DRC3-1832
Glenn Yarbrough EKL135, CCM267  
Milt Okun RLP-12634

Lyrics:

Spanish is the loving tongue
Soft as music, light as spray
'Twas a girl I learned it from
Living down Sonora way
I don't look much like a lover,
Yet I say her love words over,
Often when I'm all alone
"Mi amor, mi corazón."
Nights when she knew where I'd ride
She would listen for my spurs
Fling the big door open wide
Raise them laughin' eyes of hers
And my heart would nigh stop beating
When I heard her tender greeting,
Whispered soft for me alone
"Mi amor, mi corazón."

Moonlight in the patio,
Old Senora nodding near,
Me and Juana talking low
So the Madre couldn't hear
How those hours would go a-flyin'!
And too soon I'd hear her sighin'
In her little sorry tone
"Adios, mi corazón!"

But one time I had to fly
For a foolish gamblin' fight,
And we said a swift goodbye
In that black unlucky night.
When I'd loosed her arms from clingin'
With her words the hoofs kept ringin'
As I galloped north alone
"Adios, mi corazón!"

Never seen her since that night
I can't cross the Line, you know.
She was "Mex" and I was white;
Like as not it's better so.
Yet I've always sort of missed her
Since that last wild night I kissed her
Left her heart and lost my own
"Adios, mi corazón!"