Songs about cowboys are the beating heart of country music, and they come in more flavors than most people realize.
Plenty focus on ruggedness and toughness, but just as many paint the cowboy in a romantic light.
Riding into the sunset or holding someone close, these characters know how to stir up strong emotions.
Saddle up and check out the best songs about cowboys below!
Best Songs About Cowboys
There is something about the cowboy lifestyle that never stops feeling romantic and intriguing.
Maybe it is the wide open spaces, or the freedom to point a horse in any direction and ride.
Whatever it is, these tunes bottle that feeling, and we have gathered our favorites for you below.
Country Songs About Being a Cowboy
When you think of country songs, the first image that comes to mind is usually a cowboy.
These songs explore what the life actually means, both physically and emotionally, from the struggles to the victories.
Listen to these songs and enjoy the ride!
- Tim McGraw – The Cowboy In Me
- Jason Aldean – Rock And Roll Cowboy
- Toby Keith – Should’ve Been A Cowboy
- Willie Nelson – We Are the Cowboys
- Casey Donahew – What Cowboys Do
- Dustin Lynch – Cowboys And Angels
- Chris LeDoux – This Cowboy’s Hat
- Cody Johnson & Reba McEntire – Dear Rodeo
- Jon Pardi – Ain’t Always The Cowboy
- Jake Brooks – This Cowboy’s Hat
- Cody Johnson – The Only One I Know (Cowboy Life)
These tracks cover the whole arc of the life – the pride, the bruises, and the pull of the next rodeo town.
Between rodeo legends like Chris LeDoux and modern torchbearers like Cody Johnson, the tradition is in good hands.
Tim McGraw – The Cowboy In Me
The Cowboy In Me takes the restless, free-spirited cowboy ideal and finds it alive inside an everyday modern life.
Tim McGraw suggests there is a little of that stubborn wanderer in all of us, for better and for worse.
Even as times change, being a cowboy at heart is something we never completely shake off.
What are some New Cowboy Songs?
What do current cowboy songs sound like? The answer depends on who you ask, so we pulled the most popular modern tracks that carry the tradition forward.
Cowboy culture is not going anywhere in America, and as long as there are cowboys, new cowboy songs will keep getting written.
Here are the latest and greatest examples.
Here are our favorite New Cowboy songs:
- Kelsea Ballerini – Love Is A Cowboy
- Miranda Lambert – If I Was a Cowboy
- Ben Gallaher – Still A Few Cowboys Left
- Tracy Lawrence – When The Cowboy’s Gone
- Midland – Adios Cowboy (The Last Resort)
- Matt Castillo – Cause He’s A Cowboy
- Maddie Carpenter – Cowboy
- Cody Jinks – Hippies and Cowboys
- Taylor Swift – cowboy like me
- Wesley Brown – Like a Cowboy
- Parker McCollum – Like A Cowboy
The newer generation treats the cowboy less as a job description and more as a state of mind.
Fun fact: Parker McCollum’s Like A Cowboy was written by Chris Stapleton, proof that the theme still attracts country’s best pens.
Kelsea Ballerini – Love Is A Cowboy
Kelsea Ballerini turns the cowboy into a metaphor here, painting love itself as something wild, beautiful, and impossible to fence in.
It is a clever spin on a classic country image, and it fits right alongside the more traditional tracks on this list.
Fans of her songwriting will not be disappointed.
Cowboy Love Songs
There is something undeniably romantic about the idea of a cowboy. Maybe it is the ruggedness, the horseback riding, or simply the wide open spaces.
Whatever it is, cowboys make great love song icons.
From classic country ballads to modern takes on the genre, these songs are sure to touch your heart.
Enjoy this collection of the best cowboy love songs ever written!
Sweethearts, Saddles, and Slow Dances
- Dustin Bird – Cowboy Stay
- Clay Walker – I’d Love To Be Your Last
- Hannah McFarland – Run out of Cowboy
- Kacey Musgraves – Space Cowboy
- Randy Houser – Like a Cowboy
- Jessie James – My Cowboy
- Leah Turner – Cowboy’s Love
- Coffey Anderson – Cowboys Like Me
- Josh Ward – A Cowboy Can
- Patsy Montana – I Wanna Be A Cowboy’s Sweetheart
This list runs the full range, from Patsy Montana’s 1935 yodeling classic to sleek modern heartbreak.
Keep a couple of the slower ones handy for a first dance or an anniversary dedication.
Kacey Musgraves – Space Cowboy
Space Cowboy is the rare breakup song that says goodbye with total grace.
Kacey Musgraves builds the whole track on one perfect piece of wordplay, letting a restless partner go because you cannot fence in someone who wants to run.
It is quietly devastating and one of the most acclaimed country songs of recent years.
Classic Songs About Cowboys
What comes to mind when you think of classic cowboy songs? For many, it is old-fashioned, romanticized portraits of life on the farm and the open range.
From Toby Keith’s “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” to The Chicks’ “Cowboy Take Me Away,” these tunes transport listeners to a simpler time.
Every one of these classics is worth a spot in the rotation.
Range-Riding Standards That Built the Genre
- The Chicks – Cowboy Take Me Away
- Chris LeDoux – The Ride
- Reba McEntire – I Want a Cowboy
- Gene Autry – Back in the Saddle Again
- The Highwaymen – The Last Cowboy Song
- Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson – Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys
- George Strait – The Cowboy Rides Away
- Chris LeDoux – This Cowboy’s Hat
- Toby Keith – A Few More Cowboys
- Glen Campbell – Rhinestone Cowboy
From Gene Autry’s singing-cowboy era to George Strait’s farewell anthem, these are the songs the whole genre stands on.
Most of them still fill a dance floor the second the first notes hit.
The Chicks – Cowboy Take Me Away
Cowboy Take Me Away is the definitive song about falling for a cowboy, and it topped the country charts on its way to classic status.
If you need a romantic tune, this is the one. It drops you straight onto the open range with the sun on your face.
Cowboy Party Songs
Planning a cowboy themed party and looking for the perfect music? Here is a list of the best cowboy party songs to get your guests up and dancing.
From country classics to modern hits, there is something for everyone here.
So put on your boots, hat, and jeans, and get ready to dance the night away!
Boot-Scooting Anthems for a Western Bash
- John Michael Montgomery – Cowboy Love
- Ronnie Dunn – Let The Cowboy Rock
- Blanco Brown – The Git Up
- Randy Travis – Cowboy Boogie
- Carrie Underwood – Cowboy Casanova
- The Bellamy Brothers – Dancin’ Cowboys
- Jon Pardi – Cowboy Hat
- Rhett Akins – Every Cowboy’s Dream
- Garth Brooks – Good Ride Cowboy
- Big & Rich – Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)
Between line-dance favorites like The Git Up and stompers like Cowboy Casanova, this set keeps a western party moving all night.
Mix a couple of the older boogie tunes in with the modern hits and every generation stays on the floor.
Big & Rich – Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)
Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy) is the guaranteed detonator of any western-themed party.
The opening line alone gets a crowd shouting along, and it has been a request-list staple since 2004. Play it when the room needs to go up a gear.
Songs About Cowgirls
Music loves a fearless woman, and the cowgirl legacy is full of them.
Songs about cowgirls celebrate grit, courage, and strength, whether the women in them are herding cattle on horseback or simply living out their dreams.
Here are some new and classic songs:
- Midland – Cowgirl Blues
- George Strait – How ‘Bout Them Cowgirls
- Randall King – Hey Cowgirl
- Brooks & Dunn – Cowgirls Don’t Cry
- Heidi Pack – Cowgirl
- Chad Cooke Band – Cowboy’s Cowgirl
- David Adam Byrnes – Keep Up With A Cowgirl
- Stephen Wesley – Cowgirl
- Amanda Kate Ferris – Cowgirl Kryptonite
- Chris Cagle – Let There Be Cowgirls
- Kacey Musgraves – Dime Store Cowgirl
- Vince Gill – What The Cowgirls Do
- Ian Munsick & Cody Johnson – Long Live Cowgirls
From George Strait tipping his hat to Kacey Musgraves keeping it humble, these songs give cowgirls their due.
Cowgirls Don’t Cry in particular has become an anthem of quiet resilience passed from mothers to daughters.
Midland – Cowgirl Blues
Cowgirl Blues is a smooth, retro-leaning heartbreaker about the rodeo road pulling a cowboy away from the woman he loves.
Midland deliver it with their signature throwback shine, and the result sounds like it could have spun on a honky-tonk jukebox forty years ago.
It is a standout from the band’s Sonic Ranch era and an easy repeat listen.
Songs with the word Cowboy in the lyrics
Some great songs put the word cowboy front and center without being traditional country at all.
Whether it is about a cowboy lover or just living like one, these tracks will have you tapping your toes and singing along.
Check out some of my favorites below!
- Kylie Morgan – I Only Date Cowboys
- Oliver Tree – Cowboys Don’t Cry
- Sunny Cowgirls – Cowboy
- Jamie Ray – Magic City Cowboy
- Jamie Ray – Cowboy Gangsta
- Colter Wall – Let’s All Help the Cowboys (Sing the Blues)
- Kid Rock – Cowboy
- Paula Cole – Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?
- Van Andrew – Sad Cowboys and Rock and Roll
- Casey Donahew – He Ain’t a Cowboy
This is the wild-card list, where alt-pop, rap-rock, and Canadian folk all borrow the cowboy for their own purposes.
That borrowing is the point. The word carries so much imagery that every genre wants a piece of it.
Paula Cole – Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?
Paula Cole’s 1997 pop hit flips the cowboy fantasy on its head, asking what happens when the romance of it all wears off.
It is sly, catchy, and instantly recognizable from its whistled hook. Decades later it still sparks singalongs and a little healthy debate.
What are the most timeless songs about cowboys?
What comes to mind when you think of cowboys? For most people, it is dusty trail riders on horseback, or the lonesome figure spending months out on the range.
Plenty of songs fit that exact picture, but the true timeless classics celebrate the cowboy lifestyle in a broader sense.
Here are some of our favorites.
Trail-Worn Favorites That Never Fade
- Dolly Parton – A Cowboy’s Way
- Chris LeDoux – Cowboy Sings
- Collin Raye – Latter Day Cowboy
- Garth Brooks – The Cowboy Song
- Paul Bogart – The Cowboy Way
- Willie Nelson, Neil Young – Are There Any More Real Cowboys
- Chris LeDoux – Stampede
- Dan Seals – God Must Be A Cowboy At Heart
- Garth Brooks – Rodeo and Juliet
- Chris LeDoux – Whatcha Gonna Do With a Cowboy
Three Chris LeDoux entries on one list is no accident – the rodeo champion turned singer lived every word he recorded.
Add Willie Nelson and Neil Young asking whether any real cowboys are left, and you have a list that spans the whole conversation.
Chris LeDoux – Whatcha Gonna Do With a Cowboy
Whatcha Gonna Do With a Cowboy pairs Chris LeDoux with a young Garth Brooks, who never hid that LeDoux was his hero.
The result is a rowdy, grinning warning about loving a man who will not stay put. It cracked the country top ten in 1992 and remains LeDoux’s signature radio moment.
Songs About Missing a Cowboy
There is something timelessly romantic about a cowboy’s love: honest, strong, and always ready to ride off into the sunset.
But that fabled story does not always end happily ever after. Sooner or later comes the heartbreak of saying goodbye.
Whether the parting comes from loss or simply from life, country artists have penned some truly heartfelt songs about missing a cowboy.
Empty Saddles and Long Goodbyes
- Autumn Brooke – Hey Cowboy
- Jamey Johnson – Lead Me Home
- Casey Donahew – A Cowboy’s Prayer, Promise Land
- Scotty McCreery – How Ya Doin’ Up There
- Rich Corley – Ballad of the Old Cowboy
- HARDY – Give Heaven Some Hell
- Darryl Worley – I Miss My Friend
- Luke Bryan – Drink A Beer
- Kenny Rogers – Goodbye
- Jamey Johnson – The Last Cowboy
These are the songs for memorial slideshows, tribute rides, and the quiet drive home.
Handle them with care in a live setting. They hit hardest when the room is ready for them.
Autumn Brooke – Hey Cowboy
Hey Cowboy is a tribute to a love that lingers in the mind and soul long after the cowboy is gone.
Autumn Brooke sets the pain and longing against a tender melody, capturing the ache of remembering someone you cannot get back.
What is the stereotypical cowboy song?
The stereotypical cowboy song is pure Americana: traditional country-folk sounds wrapped around stories of ranches, horses, and love lost.
Rhythmic guitar chords meet lonesome, melodic vocals, creating that unmistakable feel of the Wild West.
Repetitive, easy-to-hum melodies carry nostalgic verses through rugged mountainsides and rolling desert plains.
Some of these tunes bring a tear to the eye and others just get toes tapping, but the classic cowboy sound never goes out of style.
Close your eyes for a moment and let one of them carry you through the Wild West in all its glory.
What songs do they play at the rodeo?
Country music is the backbone of any major rodeo, blaring from the speakers as an anthem for everyone who loves to ride.
The fun is in the variations from event to event.
Some venues run modern pop during barrel racing, while classic rock fills the gaps between bull rides.
Classic western tunes stay on heavy rotation too, entertaining the fans while paying tribute to the sport’s cowboy roots.
It all adds up to a colorful soundtrack that captures the spirit of the show before, during, and after each performance.
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Conclusion
If you are looking for songs about cowboys, this list has you covered from every angle.
There are tunes here for parties, slow dances, memorials, and everything in between.
So saddle up and ride off into the sunset with your favorite of these songs about cowboys (or cowgirls).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most famous song about cowboys?
Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson may be the most famous cowboy song ever recorded. Rhinestone Cowboy by Glen Campbell and Should’ve Been A Cowboy by Toby Keith are right there with it.
What are good songs for a cowboy themed party?
Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy) by Big & Rich and The Git Up by Blanco Brown get boots moving fast. Cowboy Casanova by Carrie Underwood keeps the energy up once the floor is full.
What is a good song about losing a cowboy?
Give Heaven Some Hell by HARDY and Drink A Beer by Luke Bryan are two of the most requested tributes. How Ya Doin’ Up There by Scotty McCreery is a gentler pick for a memorial slideshow.
Looking for more? Browse all our DJ song lists and songs for DJs.
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From discovering new songs to getting more gigs, I’m excited to share the wealth of knowledge I’ve gained through many years of DJing. [email protected]
