Government Issue (often just G.I.) was an American hardcore punk band origi… Read Full Bio ↴Government Issue (often just G.I.) was an American hardcore punk band originating from the Washington DC scene, formed in 1980 and signed to Dischord Records. Many early songs were straightforward hardcore, clocking in at under the one-minute mark. Still, they later progressed into a more melodic song-focused outfit (citing The Damned as key to gaining this catchy sound) and often with lyrics critical of the short-sighted behavior of the scene they aided in creating.

Given the long-running nature of the band, many participants in the D.C. hardcore scene had gone through G.I.'s membership. Government issue featured Brian Baker of Minor Threat, as well as Mike Fellows of Rites Of Spring and many others.

The G.I.s, as they were known, became one of the longest-running bands in the D.C. hardcore scene. After numerous line-up changes, the band broke up in 1989, vocalist John Stabb (aka: "Fruit Loops", he also had a band called Betty Blue in the mid-'90s, around 96-98, not sure of the status of that group, however) and guitarist Tom Lyle formed an experimental outfit called Glee Club and made two records. In addition, Tom Lyle made two solo records that were a more straight-ahead hard rock in 1990 and 1992.

Tom Lyle, Bassist J. Robbins, and drummer Peter Moffett regrouped to record two unrecorded G.I. songs. This was released as the Rollkicker Laydown E.P.

Bassist Jay Robbins went on to form Jawbox. Robbins later began Burning Airlines with G.I. drummer Peter Moffett.

Stabb formed the D.C. quintet The Factory Incident in 2000.

Cowboy Fashion
Government Issue Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You used to pay a lotta money for a funny suit
Pay 25 grand for a pair of boots
Disco dancing used to be the in thing
See a phony cowboy try to sing

Cowboy fashion, got my cowboy hat
Levis & vest, I know where it's at
Seen Urban Cowboy again and again

Ride a legless bull 'cause we thing we're men

You ain't no cowboy, you 're just a clown
If this were the old west, you'd get shot down

Overall Meaning

The punk rock band, Government Issue's song Cowboy Fashion, is a satirical jab on the fad of cowboy culture that emerged in the 1980s. The opening lyrics talk about the excessive amounts of money people were willing to pay for cowboy outfits, including a humorous price tag for boots. This sets the tone for the rest of the song, which mocks the fake cowboy lifestyle that became popular at the time.

The chorus of the song, "Cowboy fashion, got my cowboy hat, Levis & vest, I know where it's at," suggests that the singer is not actually endorsing the trend, but rather participating in it for the sake of fitting in. The use of "we" in the next line, "Ride a legless bull 'cause we think we're men," furthers this idea of group conformity and following the crowd.

The final lyric, "You ain't no cowboy, you're just a clown. If this were the old west, you'd get shot down," serves as a direct critique of the trend and the people who embraced it. It implies that the trend is not authentic and is disrespectful to the actual history and culture of the American West.

Overall, this song is a commentary on the commercialization and commodification of cultural trends, particularly the Western lifestyle. It is a reminder that it is important to be aware of and engage with culture authentically, rather than just for the sake of appearing "cool."

Line by Line Meaning

You used to pay a lotta money for a funny suit
In the past, people used to spend a big sum of money to purchase a strange-looking outfit.

Pay 25 grand for a pair of boots
Back in the day, people would shell out $25,000 just to have a fancy set of boots.

Disco dancing used to be the in thing
In the past, people used to love disco dancing as it was a trend that everyone followed.

See a phony cowboy try to sing
It's quite pathetic to see a fake cowboy trying to sing in hopes of looking like a real one.

Cowboy fashion, got my cowboy hat
Wearing a cowboy hat completes the cowboy look and is considered fashionable.

Levis & vest, I know where it's at
I'm aware that wearing a Levi's jeans and vest is the way to go when it comes to cowboy fashion.

Seen Urban Cowboy again and again
Watching Urban Cowboy repeatedly is a common thing as it further inspires the cowboy fashion craze.

Ride a legless bull 'cause we thing we're men
Attempting to ride a legless mechanical bull is meant to prove our masculinity and toughness.

You ain't no cowboy, you 're just a clown
Impersonating a cowboy when you're not is ridiculous and makes you look like a foolish clown.

If this were the old west, you'd get shot down
If this was the wild west days, you wouldn't survive long pretending to be a cowboy since people back then were serious about keeping their existence authentic and true to the pioneer period.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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