"Cool Water" is a song written in 1936 by Bob Nolan. It is about a parched man and his mule traveling a wasteland tormented by mirages. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as No. 3 on the Top 100 Western songs of all time.
Charting versions
It was first recorded by The Sons of the Pioneers on March 27, 1941, for Decca Records (catalog 5939)[4] and this briefly charted in 1941 with a peak position of No. 25.[5] On August 8, 1945, The Sons of the Pioneers cut a new recording, this time for RCA Victor (catalog 20-1724).[6][7] This version was re-released in 1947 on the Victor Smart Set album P-168 "Cowboy Classics."[7] However, the best-selling recorded version was done by Vaughn Monroe and The Sons of the Pioneers in 1948. The recording was released by RCA Victor as catalog number 20-2923. The record was on the Billboard chart for 13 weeks beginning on August 6, 1948, peaking at No. 9.[6][8]