George Strait – The Seashores of Old Mexico

About The Song

“The Seashores of Old Mexico” is a country song written by Merle Haggard and recorded by George Strait for his 2005 studio album Somewhere Down in Texas. The album was released on June 28, 2005, by MCA Nashville Records. Strait’s version was produced by Tony Brown and George Strait himself. The track features a Tex-Mex flavor with mariachi influences, including trumpets and a bolero rhythm.

The song was originally written by Merle Haggard and first recorded by Hank Snow in 1971. It was subsequently covered by Freddy Weller in 1972, Merle Haggard himself in 1974 on his album Merle Haggard Presents His 30th Album, and as a duet with Willie Nelson in 1987 on their collaborative album Seashores of Old Mexico. Hank Snow’s version reached No. 6 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.

George Strait’s rendition was released as the third and final single from Somewhere Down in Texas on February 13, 2006. It debuted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and peaked at No. 11 in 2006. The single also reached No. 85 on the Billboard Hot 100. Prior singles from the album included “You’ll Be There” (No. 4) and “She Let Herself Go” (No. 1).

The official music video was directed by Trey Fanjoy and filmed on February 13, 2006, in Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico. It premiered on CMT on March 23, 2006, and later topped the CMT Top Twenty Countdown in July 2006. The video complements the song’s narrative of escape and discovery along Mexico’s coast.

Somewhere Down in Texas marked Strait’s 24th studio album and continued his streak of commercial success in the mid-2000s. The album itself peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Strait’s cover brought renewed attention to Haggard’s composition, blending traditional country storytelling with southwestern musical elements.

By 2006, George Strait had amassed dozens of No. 1 hits, and this single added to his consistent chart presence. The song’s duration is approximately 4:10 in its album version. No major awards were directly tied to this track, but it remains a fan favorite in Strait’s extensive discography.

Video

Lyric

I left out of Tucson with no destination in mind
I was runnin’ from trouble and the jail term the Judge had in mind
And the border meant freedom, a new life, romance
And that’s why I thought I should go
And start my life over on the seashores of old Mexico

My first night in Juarez, lost all the money I had
One bad senorita made use of one innocent lad
But I must keep on runnin’, it’s too late to turn back
I’m wanted in Tucson, I’m told
Yeah, and things’ll blow over on the seashores of old Mexico

Two Mexican farmers en route to a town I can’t say
Let me ride on the back of a flatbed half-loaded with hay
Down through Durango, Colima, Almiera
Then in the Manzanillos
Where I slept in the sunshine on the seashores of old Mexico

After one long siesta, I came wide awake in the night
I was startled by the shadow of a woman in the pale moonlight
My new-found companion, one young senorita
Who offered a broken hello
To the gringo she found on the seashores of old Mexico

She spoke of Sonora and swore that she’d never return
For her Mexican husband, she really had no great concern
‘Cause she loved the gringo, my red hair and lingo
That’s all I needed to know
Yeah, I found what I needed on the seashores of old Mexico

Yeah, she loved the gringo, my red hair and lingo
That’s all I needed to know, ha, ha
Yeah, I found what I needed on the seashores of old Mexico