Songfacts®:

• "Blue Canadian Rockies" was originally sung by Gene Autry in the 1952 film of the same name. It was penned by Texas songwriter Cindy Walker, who had over 500 songs recorded by major artists including over 50 by Bob Wills and the Texas Playboy. Her best known songs include "You Don't Know Me" (Eddy Arnold, Ray Charles) "Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)" (Roy Orbison) and "Distant Drums" (Jim Reeves).
• The song was revived in 1968 by The Byrds on their 1968 country-rock album Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Bassist Chris Hillman recalled to The Scene:
  
  "I heard that song originally by a group from Canada when I was working on this country show, Cal's Corral, when I was 18 years old. Canadian Sweethearts did it, and I heard it in a Gene Autry movie. It just stuck in my head. I remembered it when we started working on Sweetheart of the Rodeo and wanted to include it because it's a sweet love song."