Across the Alley from the Alamo is a 1946 jazz standard written by Joe Greene. Greene's whimsical lyrics tell of a Navajo Indian and his pinto pony who live an easy life until they take a walking vacation along a railroad track and are never seen again - the dream-inspired tale has a playful, storybook quality. The first recording was by Woody Herman and his Orchestra with The Four Chips on February 4, 1947, and it was released on March 17, 1947. The Mills Brothers scored a major hit with the song in 1947, reaching number 2 on the Billboard chart, and they re-recorded it for their 1958 album The Mills Bros. - Great Hits. It has been covered by many artists including Stan Kenton with June Christy, Ella Fitzgerald on Live at Mister Kelly's (1958), Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys (1968), and Asleep at the Wheel (1985). The tune remains a jazz standard with a light, narrative swing, and it even appears in the 2021 film Dont Look Up during a family meal scene.
