About the song
If you are a fan of country music, you probably know the song “The Cowboy Rides Away” by George Strait. It is one of his signature songs and the one he uses to end his concerts. But do you know the history behind this classic tune? In this blog post, we will explore the origins, meaning and impact of “The Cowboy Rides Away”, a song that has become synonymous with George Strait’s legacy.
“The Cowboy Rides Away” was released in January 1985 as the second single from Strait’s album Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind. The song was written by Sonny Throckmorton and Casey Kelly, two renowned Nashville songwriters who have penned hits for artists like Tanya Tucker, Kenny Rogers, The Oak Ridge Boys and many more. Throckmorton and Kelly wrote the song from the perspective of a cowboy who is leaving a failed relationship behind. He compares his heartbreak to the setting sun and his departure to a cowboy riding away into the horizon.
The song was a hit for Strait, reaching number five on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and number three on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. It also received positive reviews from critics, who praised its traditional country sound and Strait’s authentic delivery. 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.”
But “The Cowboy Rides Away” is more than just a song. It is also the name of Strait’s final tour, which began on January 18, 2013 and ended on June 7, 2014. The tour consisted of 48 shows across the United States, featuring special guests like Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Eric Church and many others. The tour was a huge success, breaking attendance records and grossing over $100 million. The final show at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas was attended by 104,793 people, making it the largest indoor concert in history.
“The Cowboy Rides Away” is a song that captures the essence of George Strait’s career: a cowboy who stays true to his roots, sings from his heart and leaves a lasting impression on his fans. It is a song that celebrates the end of an era, but also the beginning of a new one. As Strait sings in the chorus: “The cowboy rides away / And my heart is sinking like the setting sun / Setting on the things I wish I’d done / Oh the last goodbye’s the hardest one to say / And this is where the cowboy rides away.”