The Cowboy Rides Away
"The Cowboy Rides Away" is a song written by Sonny Throckmorton and Casey Kelly, and recorded by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in January 1985 as the second single from his album Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind. It peaked at number 5 on the United States Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, and at number 3 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada. It is the song used by Strait to close out his performances. This is also the name of his last and final tour commencing January 18, 2013.
| "The Cowboy Rides Away" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by George Strait | ||||
| from the album Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind | ||||
| B-side | "Any Old Time" | |||
| Released | January 14, 1985 | |||
| Recorded | June 26, 1984 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:20 | |||
| Label | MCA 52526 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Sonny Throckmorton, Casey Kelly | |||
| Producer(s) | Jimmy Bowen & George Strait | |||
| George Strait singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
It was the last song he sang at his final concert ever on June 7, 2014 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas with a worldwide record setting attendance for the show at 104,000.
Content
The song is about a cowboy riding away from a failed relationship. He and his wife/girlfriend have been through it all and they just can’t work things out.
Critical reception
Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave the song an A grade, calling it a song that "embraces the traditional cowboy mythos while simultaneously reinventing it." [1]
Chart positions
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[2] | 5 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 3 |
References
- CountryUniverse.net Review by Kevin John Coyne
- "George Strait Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.