"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 was also the name of his final tour that commenced on January 18, 2013.
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
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 not work things out.
Cover versions
Country music duo Brooks & Dunn covered the song from the television special George Strait: ACM Artist of the Decade All Star Concert.
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 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[3] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ 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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