A Cowboy Song
Cowpokes, Outlaws & Loners
About A Cowboy Song Blog
As a kid, one of my favorite TV shows to watch was the afterschool reruns of The Lone Ranger, starring Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels. Looking back, I realize that my first “Cowboy Song” was in fact an excerpt from an operatic overture by the famed composer Gioachino Antonio Rossini, which served as The Lone Ranger’s opening theme.
As a life-long lover of all types of music, I have come to understand that the soundtrack of the American Southwest contains influences from all over, including the hills of Appalachia, the plains of the American west, and even further afield to the Spanish vaquero traditions, from whence the American cowboy evolved.
Growing up on the great cowboy movies and TV shows featuring the likes of Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, I am now intrigued to know more about the artists, and the songs and soundtracks that have made these figures and the characters they portrayed into the legends they are today.
My intention is that A Cowboy Song will focus on the songs and soundtracks that celebrate the cowboys, outlaws and loners that have come to symbolize the American west; a culture that has influenced, and been influenced by, artists throughout the world. I hope that you will join me on this ride, and hopefully will be willing to share how any of these songs may have impacted your own life.
Yee haw!
My Rifle, My Pony, and Me
“The sun is sinking in the west The cattle go down to the stream The redwing settles in the nest It’s time for a cowboy …
I Fell in Love With a Mexican Girl
“Out in the West Texas town of El Paso I fell in love with a Mexican girl Nighttime would find me in Rosa’s Cantina Music …
Woman, Don’t Try to Love Me
“Till Bill Doolin met Bill Dalton He was workin’ cheap, just buyin’ time And then he laughed and said I’m goin’ And so he left …
It’s Bulls & Blood, It’s Dust & Mud
“His eyes are cold and restless And his wounds have almost healed And she’d give half of Texas Just to change the way he feels …
It’s Your Misfortune and None of My Own
“As I was walking one morning for pleasure I spied a cowpuncher riding along His hat was throwed back and his spurs were a-jingling And …
Big Iron on His Hip
“To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day Hardly spoke to folks around him, didn’t have too much to say No …
I Should’ve Been A Cowboy
“I bet you never heard ol’ Marshal Dillon say ‘Miss Kitty, have you ever thought of runnin’ away? Settlin’ down, would you marry me If …
Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo
The Man With No Name (Clint Eastwood): “Don Miguel Roho…I want to talk to you! Don Miguel, I hear you’re hiring on men. Well, I …
Like A Rhinestone Cowboy
“I’ve been walkin’ these streets so long Singin’ the same old song I know every crack in these dirty sidewalks of Broadway Where hustle’s the …
He’s Ridin’ and Hidin’ His Pain: Red Headed Stranger Part II
“Last night I came home And I knocked on my door And I called to my love As I oft had before And I knocked …
He’s Ridin’ and Hidin’ His Pain: Red Headed Stranger Part I
“It was a time of the preacher When the story began Of the choice of a lady And the love of a man How he …
It’s the Way You Ride the Trail That Counts
“Some trails are happy ones Others are blue It’s the way you ride the trail that counts Here’s a happy one for you” – Happy …
Yippie-i-oh, Yippie-i-ay!
“An old cowboy went riding out one dark and windy day Upon a ridge, he rested as he went along his way When all at …
The Singing Cowboy
“I’m back in the saddle again Out where a friend is a friend Where the longhorn cattle feed On the lowly gypsum weed Back in …