Conway Twitty (1 September 1933 – 5 June 1993), born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, … Read Full Bio ↴Conway Twitty (1 September 1933 – 5 June 1993), born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, was one of the United States' most successful artists of the 20th century. Twitty had the most singles (55) reach Number 1 on various national music charts. Conway Twitty's across the board totals were greater than that of Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, the Beatles, and Garth Brooks. Most notably known as a country music singer, Twitty also enjoyed success in early Rock and Roll, R&B, and Pop music (among other genres). He teamed up with Loretta Lynn to form one of country music's most successful business partnerships.

Origin of Jenkins Stage Name--------- Jenkins felt that his real name wasn't marketable, and he changed his show business name in 1957. (Harold Lloyd Jenkins would always remain his legal name, however). Looking at a road map, he spotted Conway, Arkansas and Twitty, Texas. Thus, he went with the professional name of "Conway Twitty".[citation needed]

Alternatively, Jenkins met a Richmond, VA, man named W. Conway Twitty Jr. through Jenkins' manager in a New York City restaurant. The manager served in the army with the real Conway Twitty. Later, the manager suggested to Jenkins that he take the name as his stage name because it had a ring to it. The Richmond Conway Twitty subsequently recorded the song, "What's in a Name But Trouble," in the mid-1960s, lamenting the loss of his name to Jenkins. The flip side of the 45 RPM record was "The Purple, Purple People Eater, Eater." (The more well known version of Purple People Eater, however, now having sold over 100,000,000 copies, was recorded by Sheb Wooley.)

Don't Call Him A Cowboy
Conway Twitty Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

So you came from New York city
And you want to see the sights
You heard all about those cowboys
And their crazy Texas nights

I see you've got your eye on something
Leaning on the bar
But the toughest ride he's ever had

Was in his foreign car

So don't call him a cowboy
Until you've seen him ride
'Cause a Stetson hat and them fancy boots
Don't tell you what's inside, no

And if he ain't good in the saddle
Lord, you won't be satisfied
So don't call him a cowboy
Until you've seen him ride

He was a Hollywood idea
Of the wild and wooly west
In his French designer blue jeans
And his custom tailored vest

You're thinkin' he's the real thing
But I think you oughta know
He can't even make it through
A one night rodeo, no

So don't call him a cowboy
Until you've seen him ride
'Cause a Stetson hat and them fancy boots
Don't tell you what's inside, no

And if he ain't good in the saddle
Lord, you won't be satisfied
So don't call him a cowboy
Until you've seen him ride

Don't call him a cowboy
Until you've seen him ride
'Cause a Stetson hat and them fancy boots
Don't tell you what's inside, no

And if he ain't good in the saddle
Lord, you won't be satisfied
So don't call him a cowboy
Until you've seen him ride
Don't call him a cowboy
Until you've seen him ride

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Conway Twitty's song "Don't Call Him a Cowboy" are a warning to a woman who has come from New York City to see the cowboys and experience the wild Texas nights. The woman is seen eyeing a man at the bar who is wearing a Stetson hat and fancy boots, but Conway warns her not to judge the man by his outward appearance, because he is not a cowboy. Conway points out that the man in question is a Hollywood idea of the cowboy, dressed in French designer jeans and custom-tailored vest. Conway suggests that the woman should not call him a cowboy until she has seen him ride, because the hat and boots do not reveal what is inside.

The song delivers a message that people should not judge others based on stereotypes or outward appearances, but rather on their actions and abilities. It warns against making assumptions about people based on their clothing or the way they present themselves. The message is to look beyond the surface and get to know the real person before making judgments or assumptions.

Line by Line Meaning

So you came from New York city
You are not from around here.

And you want to see the sights
You want to get a taste of cowboy life.

You heard all about those cowboys
You have a preconceived idea of cowboys and what they're like.

And their crazy Texas nights
You think cowboys know how to party.

I see you've got your eye on something
You've taken notice of a man at the bar.

Leaning on the bar
The man is at ease.

But the toughest ride he's ever had
He's never been in any dangerous situations.

Was in his foreign car
The man has only had to handle a car in traffic.

So don't call him a cowboy
He's not the real deal.

Until you've seen him ride
You need to see him in action.

'Cause a Stetson hat and them fancy boots
Looks can be deceiving.

Don't tell you what's inside, no
Appearances can't tell you what a person is really like.

And if he ain't good in the saddle
If he can't handle himself in a tough situation,

Lord, you won't be satisfied
You won't get what you're looking for.

He was a Hollywood idea
He's more of a character than an actual cowboy.

Of the wild and wooly west
A romanticized idea of what the west was like.

In his French designer blue jeans
He wears expensive clothes that aren't practical for the cowboy lifestyle.

And his custom tailored vest
He's more interested in fashion than function.

You're thinkin' he's the real thing
You've been fooled by his looks.

But I think you oughta know
But I'm telling you the truth.

He can't even make it through
He can't handle the intensity of a rodeo.

A one night rodeo, no
He lasts very little time in a rodeo.

Don't call him a cowboy
He's not what you think he is.

Until you've seen him ride
You need to see his skills in action.

'Cause a Stetson hat and them fancy boots
Looks are deceiving.

Don't tell you what's inside, no
Can't know someone by their appearance.

And if he ain't good in the saddle
If he can't handle a rodeo,

Lord, you won't be satisfied
You won't get what you're looking for.

So don't call him a cowboy
He's not the real thing.

Until you've seen him ride
You have to see his skills to decide.

Don't call him a cowboy
He's not what he appears to be.

Until you've seen him ride
You can't judge him by his appearance alone.

'Cause a Stetson hat and them fancy boots
Clothes don't make the man.

Don't tell you what's inside, no
You can't know someone by their appearance.

And if he ain't good in the saddle
If he can't handle a rodeo,

Lord, you won't be satisfied
You won't find what you're looking for.

Don't call him a cowboy
He's not the real thing.

Until you've seen him ride
You have to see him in action.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Bluewater Music Corp.
Written by: Bob Morrison, Debbie Hupp, Johnny Mac Rae

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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