In 1969, Ray Benson and Lucky Oceans (Reuben Gosfield) co-founded Asleep at the Wheel in Paw Paw, West Virginia, and soon after they found themselves opening for Alice Cooper and Hot Tuna in Washington, DC.[1] A year later, they moved to East Oakland, California at the invitation of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. After being mentioned in Rolling Stone magazine by Van Morrison, they landed a record deal with United Artists. In 1973, their debut album, Comin' Right At Ya was released by United Artists. At the request of Willie Nelson, they left Oakland for Austin in 1974.
Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have been presented numerous awards throughout their career. Most recently, the 16th Annual Midsouth Regional Emmy Award for the making of "A Ride With Bob", recognition by Mayor Kirk Watson of Austin, Texas, and the Darrel K. Royal Music Patron Award by The Texas Heritage Songwriters' Association. In 2007, The Austin Chronicle recognized Asleep at the Wheel for Band of the Year, Best Country Band, and into their Hall of Fame. Benson was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame in 2002, was given The Texas Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996, and recognized as an Outstanding Producer by the National Academy of Recording Arts in 1988. He has also been given numerous Citations of Achievement by Broadcast Music, Inc. for his work in the country music field. Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have been one of the strongest names in Country Music for the last forty years.
"I'm An Old Cowhand "
Asleep At The Wheel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But my legs ain't bowed and my cheeks ain't tan
I'm a cowboy who never saw a cow
Never roped a steer cause I don't know how
Sure ain't a fixin to start in now
Yippie yi yo kayah
I'm an old cowhand and I come down from the Rio Grande
I'm a riding fool who is up to date
I know every trail in the Lone Star State
Cause I ride the range in a Ford V-8
Yippie yi yo kayah
We're old cowhands from the Rio Grande
And we come to town just to hear the band
We know all the songs that the cowboys know
'Bout the big corral where the doggies go
We learned them all on the radio
Yippie yi yo kayah
I'm an old cowhand
Oh yes, Mr. Bing
Too hot for you, Uncle Fudd?
Down from the Rio Grande
Oh where the west is wild all around the borderland
Where the buffalo roam around the zoo
and the Injuns run up a rug or two
and the old Bar X is just a barbecue, yeah
Yippie yi yo kayah
I'm a pioneer who began from scratch
I don't bat an eye in a shootin' match
They don't call me Elmer, they call me Satch
Yippie yi yo kayah
Yippie yi yo kayah
Get along little horsy
Get along little horsy
Yippie yi yo kayah, oh!
The song "I'm an Old Cowhand" by Asleep at the Wheel is a playful tribute to the cowboy lifestyle, but with a twist: the singer claims to be an "old cowhand" from the Rio Grande, but admits that he has never actually seen a cow, let alone roped one. Instead, he has learned all he knows about cowboy life from books, songs, and the radio. This tongue-in-cheek approach to the cowboy mythos highlights the ways in which the cowboy archetype has become a kind of cultural shorthand, even for those who have never set foot on a ranch. The song also pokes fun at the association between cowboys and traditional masculinity, as the singer jokes that his "legs ain't bowed and [his] cheeks ain't tan."
Despite its lighthearted tone, "I'm an Old Cowhand" is also a celebration of the resilience and ingenuity of pioneers and trailblazers. The singer identifies himself as a "pioneer who began from scratch," someone who is unafraid to take on a new challenge, whether it's learning to ride a horse or participating in a shootout. He also highlights the camaraderie and community of the cowboy lifestyle, as he and his fellow "old cowhands" come to town to enjoy the music together, singing along to the songs they all know by heart.
* "I'm an Old Cowhand" was written by Johnny Mercer in 1936 and has since become a classic of the Western swing genre.
* The song has been covered by numerous artists, including Bing Crosby, Roy Rogers, and Willie Nelson.
* Asleep at the Wheel's rendition of the song was included on their 1973 album "Comin' Right At Ya".
* The song was featured in the Woody Allen film "Blue Jasmine" in 2013.
* The Western Writers of America named "I'm an Old Cowhand" one of the Top 100 Western Songs of All Time.
* The lyrics to the song were parodied in a 1995 episode of "The Simpsons" titled "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer".
* The song's melody is based on the traditional Spanish song "La Cucaracha".
* The phrase "yippie yi yo kayah" is often associated with cowboy culture and has been used in numerous songs and films.
* Johnny Mercer wrote the song for the film "Rhythm On The Range", which starred Bing Crosby as a singing cowboy.
* Asleep at the Wheel has been performing Western swing music since the early 1970s, and their version of "I'm an Old Cowhand" is a standout example of the genre.
Chords:
Verse: D A D G D A D
Chorus: G D A D
Line by Line Meaning
I'm an old cowhand from the Rio Grande
I am a seasoned cowboy from the Rio Grande area
But my legs ain't bowed and my cheeks ain't tan
Despite being a cowboy, I do not have the typical physical attributes of a cowboy
I'm a cowboy who never saw a cow
Ironically, even though I am a cowboy, I have never seen a cow
Never roped a steer cause I don't know how
I have never roped a steer because I do not know how to do it
Sure ain't a fixin to start in now
I have no interest in starting to rope steers now
Yippie yi yo kayah
This is a cowboy yell, expressing enthusiasm and excitement
I'm an old cowhand and I come down from the Rio Grande
I am an experienced cowboy from the Rio Grande area
And I learned to ride, ride, ride 'fore I learned to stand
I became skilled in horseback riding before I learned how to stand on my own two feet
I'm a riding fool who is up to date
I am a skilled horseback rider who is knowledgeable of current trends
I know every trail in the Lone Star State
I am familiar with every trail in Texas
Cause I ride the range in a Ford V-8
I use a Ford V-8 to travel across the range
We're old cowhands from the Rio Grande
We are a group of experienced cowboys from the Rio Grande area
And we come to town just to hear the band
We come to town solely to hear the music played by the band
We know all the songs that the cowboys know
We are aware of all the songs that cowboys typically know
'Bout the big corral where the doggies go
The songs are about the large corral where the cattle are kept
We learned them all on the radio
We learned about these songs by listening to them on the radio
Oh where the west is wild all around the borderland
The western region around the border is an untamed, wild place
Where the buffalo roam around the zoo
This is a humorous line that describes how buffalo are not just found on the range, but now also in zoos
and the Injuns run up a rug or two
This is another humorous line that references Native Americans dancing and causing a commotion
and the old Bar X is just a barbecue, yeah
The old Bar X is now just a place for a BBQ, not a cow ranch
I'm a pioneer who began from scratch
I started from scratch as a pioneer and became a cowboy through experience
I don't bat an eye in a shootin' match
I am unphased in a gunfight
They don't call me Elmer, they call me Satch
I have a nickname, Satch, instead of my given name, Elmer
Get along little horsy
This is a command to get moving on the horse
Yippie yi yo kayah, oh!
This is a final cowboy yell expressing excitement and enthusiasm
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHNNY MERCER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ben - Moderator
The issue with search on Firefox is now resolved.
Ben - Moderator
Sorry about that Eddie - we will resolve this very soon. In the meantime you should still be able to paste a search into the search box. I'll update you here.
Eddie
With the new setup my firefox browser will not allow typing in the search area.