"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 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 The Cowboy Rides Away Tour concert on June 7, 2014, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas with a worldwide record setting attendance for the show at 104,000.
Content
editThe 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.
Cover verisons
editCountry music duo Brooks & Dunn covered the song from the television special George Strait: ACM Artist of the Decade All Star Concert.
Critical reception
editKevin 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
edit| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[2] | 5 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 3 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[3] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ CountryUniverse.net Review by Kevin John Coyne
- ^ "George Strait Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "American single certifications – George Strait – The Cowboy Rides Away". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
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