Cover art for San Antonio Rose by Willie Nelson

San Antonio Rose

Willie Nelson
Track 46 on Nashville Was the Roughest... [Box Set] 

Producer

Chet Atkins
Written as a Texas Swing instrumental by Bob Wills in 1938, today the song is most closely associated with Nelson and Price. As you’d guess, the song has long been popular… Read More 
Jan. 1, 19661 viewer

San Antonio Rose Lyrics

[Verse]
Deep within my heart lies a melody
A song of old San Antone
Where in dreams I live with a memory
Beneath the stars all alone
'Cause it was there I found beside the Alamo
Enchantment strange as the blue up above
And that moonlit pass beside the Alamo
And rose my Rose in San Antone

[Chorus]
Moon and all your splendor, knows only my heart
Call back my Rose, Rose of San Antone
Lips so sweet and tender, like petals falling apart
Speak once again of my love, my own
Broken song and empty words, I know
Still live in my heart all alone
And that moonlit pass beside the Alamo
And rose my Rose of San Antone

[Instrumental Bridge]

[Chorus]
Well now moon and all your splendor, knows only my heart
Call back my Rose, Rose of San Antone
Lips so sweet and tender, like petals falling apart
Speak once again of my love, my own
Broken song and empty words, I know
Still live in my heart all alone
And that moonlit pass by the Alamo
And rose my Rose of San Antone
Rose my Rose of San Antone
Rose my Rose of San Antone
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About

Genius Annotation

Written as a Texas Swing instrumental by Bob Wills in 1938, today the song is most closely associated with Nelson and Price.

As you’d guess, the song has long been popular in South Texas, and over a dozen versions of the song have been recorded. Apollo 12 astronauts Charles Conrad and Alan Bean even sang it on their way to the moon.

The song includes lyrics that seem quaint, even artsy-fartsy today, but it still delivers it’s meaning of the sadness of love lost as clearly today as it did when the lyrics were added in 1940.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Who produced “San Antonio Rose” by Willie Nelson?
When did Willie Nelson release “San Antonio Rose”?
Who wrote “San Antonio Rose” by Willie Nelson?
Nashville Was the Roughest... [Box Set] (1998)
  1. 1.
    King of a Lonely Castle
  2. 2.
    You’ll Always Have Someone
  3. 3.
    To Make a Long Story Short (She’s Gone)
  4. 4.
    I Never Cared for You
  5. 5.
    You Left a Long, Long Time Ago
  6. 6.
    I Feel That Old Feeling (Missing Lyrics)
  7. 8.
    Pretty Paper
  8. 9.
    What a Merry Christmas This Could Be
  9. 10.
    The Healing Hands of Time
  10. 11.
    Talk To Me
  11. 12.
    Whisky Walzer
  12. 13.
    Little Darling
  13. 16.
    Ashamed
  14. 18.
    Are You Sure
  15. 19.
    Night Life
  16. 20.
    Mr. Record Man
  17. 22.
    Funny How Time Slips Away
  18. 23.
    My Own Peculiar Way
  19. 24.
    One Day at a Time
  20. 25.
    It Should Be Easier Now
  21. 26.
    Darkness on the Face of the Earth
  22. 27.
    Buddy
  23. 28.
    Hello Walls
  24. 29.
    So Much to Do
  25. 30.
    Within Your Crowd
  26. 31.
    Did I Ever Love You
  27. 34.
    Down to Our Last Goodbye
  28. 35.
    Fraulein
  29. 36.
    I Love You Because
  30. 37.
    I’d Trade All of My Tomorrows (For Just One Yesterday)
  31. 38.
    Making Believe
  32. 39.
    Home in San Antone
  33. 40.
    Don’t You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurting Me)
  34. 41.
    Columbus Stockade Blues
  35. 42.
    Seasons of My Heart
  36. 43.
    Heartaches by the Number
  37. 44.
    Go On Home
  38. 45.
    My Window Faces the South
  39. 46.
    San Antonio Rose
  40. 47.
    I’m Still Not Over You
  41. 50.
    He Sits at My Table
  42. 51.
    A Wonderful Yesterday
  43. 52.
    The Party’s Over
  44. 53.
    One in a Row
  45. 54.
    Make Way for a Better Man
  46. 63.
    Have I Stayed Away Too Long?
  47. 64.
    Some Other World
  48. 65.
    If It’s Wrong to Love You
  49. 66.
    Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?
  50. 67.
    You Made Me Live, Love and Die
  51. 68.
    Born to Lose
  52. 69.
    What Now My Love
  53. 70.
    Lovin’ Lies
  54. 71.
    Teach Me to Forget
  55. 72.
    Tender Years
  56. 73.
    A Mansion on the Hill
  57. 74.
    Something to Think About
  58. 75.
    Blackjack County Chain
  59. 76.
    Don’t Say Love Or Nothing
  60. 77.
    You Ought to Hear Me Cry
  61. 78.
    I Don’t Feel Anything
  62. 79.
    Hold Me Tighter
  63. 80.
    I’ll Stay Around
  64. 81.
    A Moment Isn’t Very Long
  65. 82.
    The Ghost
  66. 83.
    No Tomorrow in Sight
  67. 84.
    There Goes a Man
  68. 85.
    Go Away
  69. 86.
    Once Alone
  70. 87.
    The End of Understanding
  71. 89.
    Suffer in Silence
  72. 90.
    Truth Number One
  73. 91.
    When I Don’t Have You
  74. 92.
    Someday You’ll Call My Name
  75. 93.
    Wild Memories
  76. 94.
    December Day
  77. 95.
    Pages
  78. 96.
    Little Things
  79. 97.
    Good Times
  80. 98.
    She’s Still Gone
  81. 99.
    Sweet Memories
  82. 100.
    Johnny One Time
  83. 101.
    Jimmy’s Road
  84. 102.
    Bring Me Sunshine
  85. 103.
    I Let My Mind Wander
  86. 104.
    I Just Don’t Understand
  87. 105.
    I Just Dropped By
  88. 106.
    The Local Memory
  89. 107.
    Natural to Be Gone
  90. 108.
    Love Has a Mind of Its Own
  91. 109.
    I’ll Walk Alone
  92. 110.
    It Will Come to Pass
  93. 112.
    The Message
  94. 113.
    That’s All
  95. 114.
    Any Old Arms Won’t Do
  96. 118.
    Bloody Mary Morning
  97. 119.
    Pins and Needles (In My Heart)
  98. 120.
    Everybody’s Talkin’
  99. 121.
    Crazy Arms
  100. 122.
    I Gotta Get Drunk
  101. 123.
    Wabash Cannonball
  102. 124.
    One Has My Name (The Other Has My Heart)
  103. 125.
    Who Do I Know in Dallas
  104. 126.
    Both Sides Now
  105. 127.
    It Could Be Said That Way
  106. 128.
    Once More with Feeling
  107. 129.
    Following Me Around
  108. 130.
    Minstrel Man
  109. 131.
    Where Do You Stand?
  110. 132.
    When We Live Again
  111. 133.
    If You Could See What’s Going Through My Mind
  112. 134.
    Happiness Lives Next Door
  113. 135.
    I’ve Seen That Look on Me (A Thousand Times)
  114. 137.
    Laying My Burdens Down
  115. 138.
    How Long Have You Been There
  116. 139.
    Senses
  117. 140.
    Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down
  118. 141.
    What Can You Do to Me Now
  119. 142.
    The Losers Song (Missing Lyrics)
  120. 143.
    Fire and Rain
  121. 144.
    I Can Cry Again
  122. 145.
    I’m a Memory
  123. 146.
    That’s Why I Love Her So
  124. 149.
    Yours Love
  125. 150.
    Kneel at the Feet of Jesus
  126. 151.
    Today I Started Loving You Again
  127. 152.
    I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry
  128. 153.
    Will You Remember Mine
  129. 154.
    Wonderful Future
  130. 155.
    Wake Me When It’s Over
  131. 156.
    Help Me Make It Through the Night
  132. 157.
    Rainy Day Blues
  133. 158.
    If You Really Loved Me
  134. 159.
    The Words Don’t Fit the Picture
  135. 160.
    What Do You Want Me to Do?
  136. 161.
    Stay Away from Lonely Places
  137. 162.
    Good Hearted Woman
  138. 163.
    Home Is Where You’re Happy
  139. 164.
    My Kind of Girl
  140. 165.
    I’d Rather You Didn’t Love Me
  141. 166.
    Undo the Right
  142. 167.
    One Step Beyond
  143. 168.
    I Want A Girl
  144. 169.
    Country Willie
  145. 171.
    London
  146. 173.
    Who’ll Buy My Memories
  147. 174.
    No Love Around
  148. 175.
    Come On Home (Missing Lyrics)
  149. 176.
    Mountain Dew
  150. 177.
    Dallas
  151. 178.
    San Antonio
  152. 179.
    Streets of Laredo
  153. 180.
    Who Put All My Ex’s in Texas
  154. 181.
    The Hill Country Theme
  155. 182.
    Waltz Across Texas
  156. 183.
    Travis Letter
  157. 184.
    Remember the Alamo
  158. 185.
    Texas in My Soul
  159. 186.
    There’s a Little Bit of Everything in Texas
  160. 187.
    Beautiful Texas
  161. 188.
    Where’s the Show/Let Me Be a Man
  162. 189.
    In God’s Eyes
  163. 190.
    Family Bible
  164. 191.
    It’s Not for Me to Understand
  165. 192.
    These Are Difficult Times/Remember the Good Times
  166. 193.
    Summer of Roses
  167. 195.
    Yesterday’s Wine
  168. 196.
    Me and Paul
  169. 197.
    Goin’ Home
  170. 198.
    Phases, Stages, Circles, Cycles and Scenes
  171. 199.
    Pretend I Never Happened
  172. 200.
    Sister’s Coming Home
  173. 201.
    Down at the Corner Beer Joint
  174. 202.
    (How Will I Know) I’m Falling in Love Again
  175. 203.
    Chet’s Tune (Missing Lyrics)
  176. 204.
    Poor Old Ugly Gladys Jones (Missing Lyrics)
  177. 205.
    Mr. Record Man/Hello Walls/One Day at a Time (Live 1966)
  178. 206.
    The Last Letter/Half a Man (Live 1966)
  179. 207.
    I Never Cared for You (Live 1966)
  180. 208.
    Yesterday (Live 1966)
  181. 209.
    Touch Me (Live 1966)
  182. 210.
    Something to Think About (Live 1966)
  183. 211.
    I Just Can’t Let You Say Goodbye (Live 1966)
  184. 212.
    How Long Is Forever (Live 1966)
  185. 213.
    Night Life (Live 1966)
  186. 214.
    Opportunity to Cry/Permanently Lonely (Live 1966)
  187. 215.
    My Own Peculiar Way (Live 1966)
  188. 218.
    There’ll Be No Teardrops Tonight
Credits
Producer
Writer
Vocals
Guitar
Steel Guitar
Rhythm Guitar
Piano
Fiddle
Drums
Bass
Released on
January 1, 1966
San Antonio Rose Is A Cover Of
Tags
CountryCover
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