From The Plains To Mexico (song)

"From The Plains To Mexico" (sometimes simply "Plains To Mexico") is a song by The Residents, based on the traditional cowboy ballad "Home, Sweet Home"Ima Buddy, Ima Buddy's Totally Impartial Companion to Uncle Willie's Highly Opinionated BIG MAMAS, 1992 (first recorded by country singer Jimmie Davis in 1938). It is best known for being featured as the opening song in their live show Cube-E, which toured internationally between 1989 and 1990. 
In Cube-E, the song opens the show's first suite, "Buckaroo Blues". An early studio version of the song, recorded between April and June 1989, was released in August 1989 as a limited edition single included with copies of the Italian book An Almost Complete Collection of Lyrics, 1972-1988. This version of the song has since been featured on various compilations, beginning with Daydream B-Liver in 1991. 
The song has since made recurring appearances in The Residents' live shows since Cube-E; in 2002 and 2003 it appeared in the set list of the Demons Dance Alone tour, and in 2017 it was performed on the In Between Dreams tour. 
==Lyrics== 
===From The Plains To Mexico (single version)===
 We were lyin' on the prairie, on Slaughter's ranch one night,
 With our heads upon our saddles, and a campfire burnin' bright.
 Soon we started talking of distant friends so dear,
 When a boy raised up his saddle, and he brushed away a tear
 "I fell in love with a neighbor girl, her cheeks were soft and white.
 Another feller loved her too, and it ended in a fight.
 Oh now, it makes me shake and shudder to think of that awful night,
 When Tom and I began to fight, and I stabbed him with my knife."
 "I fell down on my knees and tried to stop the blood
 That came out all spurtin' from his side
 Like some bright red crimson flood."
 "At night when I am dreamin' I hear him softly say,
 'Oh Bob, I know you're sorry, but I've gone to a better place.'
 And I guess I believe it, but I just can't let it go.
 His dyin' eyes are with me, from the plains to Mexico.
==="Home, Sweet Home" (traditional)===
 We were lying on a prairie on Slaughter's ranch one night,
 With our heads upon our saddles while the fire was burning bright.
 Some were telling stories and some were singing songs,
 While others were idly smoking as the long hours rolled along.
 At last we fell to talking of distant friends so dear,
 When a boy raised up in his saddle and brushed away a tear.
 "Now though it's only a Kansas dugout I left behind to roam,
 I'd give my saddle and pony to be at home, sweet home."
 We all asked why he had left his home, if it was so dear to him,
 He looked the rough crowd over and spoke in a voice that was dim:
 "I fell in love with a neighbor girl, her cheeks were soft and white;
 Another feller loved her too; it ended in a fight.
 This feller his name was Thomas Jones, we'd known each other from boys;
 We had rode each other's horses, we had shared each other's joys.
 Tom was tall and slender, his face was young and fair;
 His eyes were the color of heaven, he had dark curly hair."
 "Oh, now it makes me shudder to think of that awful night;
 When Tom and I began fighting, I stuck him with my knife.
 I fell right down on my knees and tried to stop the blood
 That from his side came spurting all in a crimson flood.
 And now whenever I sleep, I dream I hear him say:
 'Bob, old boy, you'll be sorry; I'll be gone before it's day.'
 Now, boys, you can see the reason why I am compelled to roam;
 But I'd give my pony and saddle to be at home, sweet home."
==List of releases==
*"From The Plains To Mexico" (1989) Clementina Street studio recording, April-June 1989 (3:27)
*Buckaroo Blues & Black Barry (1989) Cube-E live recording, Cowell Theater, San Francisco, California, September 24th 1989
*Cube-E - Live In Holland (1990) Cube-E live recording, Arena Auditorium, Valencia, Spain, March 29th 1990 (4:11)
*Daydream B-Liver (1991) 
*The Eyes Scream: A History of The Residents VHS (1991) Night Music live TV studio recording, January 14th 1990 (4:55)
* In Memoriam Torso (1994) 
*Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Huddled Masses 4 CD edition (1997) 
*Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Huddled Masses 2 CD edition (1997) 
*Residue Deux (1998) 
*Live! ...On The Outskirts DVD (2002) Cube-E live recording, January 1990 (4:24)
*Kettles Of Fish On The Outskirts Of Town (2003) 
*Demons Dance Alone DVD (2003) Demons Dance Alone live recording, Warsaw Theatre, New York City, November 15th 2002
*Cube-E box set (2006) Cube-E live recording, Muziektheater, Amsterdam, Netherlands, March 6th 1990 (4:18) 
*Documentation - Tunes In Danger of Becoming Lost (2009) 
*Cube-E Dynasone 3EZ (2011) Clementina Street studio recording, April-June 1989 (3:29) (2000 Dynasone mix)
*Demonic! The Residents Live In Oslo! (2012) Demons Dance Alone live recording, Rockefeller, Oslo, Norway, February 27th 2003
*Residue of The Residents Superior Viaduct edition (2014) 
*80 Aching Orphans (2017) 
*In Between Dreams Live (2019) In Between Dreams live recording, The Chapel, San Francisco, California, April 2018 (7:04)
*Cube-E Box: The History of American Music in 3 E-Z Pieces pREServed (2020) 
*In Between Dreams Live In San Francisco (2020) 
=== List of versions ===
==See also==
*Cube-E
*Buckaroo Blues (suite)
*Demons Dance Alone (tour)
*In Between Dreams
==External links and references==
*Cube-E at The Residents Historical
Category:Songs
Category:Cube-E
Category:An Almost Complete Collection of Lyrics, 1972-1988
Category:Demons Dance Alone
Category:In Between Dreams
Category:From The Plains To Mexico
Category:Daydream B-Liver
Category:Kettles of Fish on the Outskirts of Town
Category:Live! ...On The Outskirts
Category:Cube-E Box
Category:80 Aching Orphans
Category:The Eyes Scream: A History of The Residents
Category:Documentation - Tunes In Danger Of Becoming Lost
Category:Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Huddled Masses