The two families, the Watkinses and the Thiles, met after Sean Watkins and Chris Thile had mandolin lessons with the same music instructor, John Moore. Sara Watkins studied with Moore's bandmate, Dennis Caplinger. The band name came from a song by Byron Berline, who was Sara Watkins' fiddle instructor.
Nickel Creek's first performance was at That Pizza Place in Carlsbad, California in 1989 with Scott Thile, Chris's father, playing string bass. Sean Watkins was only twelve years old at the time. At the start Chris Thile played guitar and Sean Watkins played mandolin but later they decided to switch instruments. The band played many bluegrass festivals throughout the 1990s, and the band members were home-schooled to accommodate their tour schedule. Nickel Creek's first two albums were Little Cowpoke (1993) and Here to There (1997).
The group received two Grammy nominations: Best Bluegrass Album and Best Country Instrumental for the song "Ode to a Butterfly". The trio was nominated at the CMA Awards for Best Vocal Group and the Horizon Award and were named one of the "Five Music Innovators of the Millennium" by TIME Magazine in May 2000. Nickel Creek's "The Lighthouse's Tale" video was nominated for a CMT "Flameworthy Video Award" for Group/Duo Video of the Year.
In 2002 the band released their fourth album, This Side, produced by Alison Krauss. It was a departure from their previous releases which were purely bluegrass. Although the core influence of bluegrass remained, other genres such as indie rock and folk rock were present in their music included cover songs Spit on a Stranger by Pavement, and Should've Known Better by Carrie Newcomer.
In 2005 the band released their fifth album, Why Should the Fire Die? with more rock and pop influences. The album debuted and peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Billboard bluegrass chart.
In late summer 2006, via Billboard and their official website, Nickel Creek announced that at the end of the year they would no longer be recording as a group and their tour, scheduled through 2007, would be their last for an indefinite period of time so band members could expand their musical horizons.
The band had plans to record its final performance at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in November 2007 but the idea was later "scrapped".
The band released a new album in the spring of 2014. They also played a handful of live shows and festival dates, including a concert at the Ryman Auditorium, the last venue the band played when it played its last show.
I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart
Nickel Creek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want to learn to rope and to ride
I want to ride o'er the plains and the deserts
Out west of that great divide
I want to hear the coyotes howlin'
While the sun sinks in the West
I want to be a cowboy's sweetheart
That's the life I love the best
(Yodeling)
I want to ride Old Paint goin' at a run
I want to feel the wind in my face
A thousand miles from all the city lights
Goin' a cowhand's pace
I want to pillow my head near the sleeping herd
While the moon shines down from above
I want to strum my guitar and yodelay-hee-hoo
Oh that's the life that I love
(Yodeling)
I want to be a cowboy's sweetheart
I want to learn to rope and to ride
I want to ride o'er the plains and the deserts
Out west of that great divide
I want to hear the coyotes howlin'
While the sun sinks in the West
I want to be a cowboy's sweetheart
That's the life I love the best
(Yodeling)
The lyrics to Nickel Creek's song "I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart" express the desire of the singer to embrace the life of a cowboy. She wants to learn to ride horses, rope cattle, and explore the vast open spaces of the American West. Her longing for this life is enhanced by her wish to hear the coyotes howling and watch the sun setting on the plains and deserts. The song also mentions the desire to feel the wind in her face while riding Old Paint at a run and to experience the serenity of sleeping close to the herd under a starry sky. The singer concludes by expressing her deep love for the cowboy's way of life.
The lyrics suggest that the singer wants to escape the urban and civilized environment and embrace a simpler, more natural way of life. She longs for the freedom, adventure, and independence that the cowboy's lifestyle embodies. The song conveys a sense of nostalgia and romanticizes the Wild West, which was a defining era in American history. By expressing her wish to become a cowboy's sweetheart, the singer channels the spirit of the Old West and evokes images of strong, independent cowgirls carving their own paths in a male-dominated world.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to be a cowboy's sweetheart
I dream of a life with a cowboy and the unencumbered, wildness that comes with it.
I want to learn to rope and to ride
I want to become an expert in the cowboy way of life, including riding horses and using a lasso.
I want to ride o'er the plains and the deserts
I want to explore the vast, open landscapes of the American West.
Out west of that great divide
I want to venture out to the western parts of the United States, beyond the imaginary line that separates the east and the west.
I want to hear the coyotes howlin'
I want to listen to the sounds of the wild and the nocturnal animals that roam the plains and deserts.
While the sun sinks in the West
As I listen to the coyotes, I want to watch the sun set in the west.
That's the life I love the best
This is the life that makes me happiest and most fulfilled.
I want to ride Old Paint goin' at a run
I want to ride quickly and feel the freedom of the wind in my hair.
I want to feel the wind in my face
I want to experience the joy of the outdoors and the physical sensations it brings.
A thousand miles from all the city lights
I want to be far away from the hustle and bustle of urban life.
Goin' a cowhand's pace
I want to slow down and enjoy the simple pleasures of life, like working with cattle as a cowboy.
I want to pillow my head near the sleeping herd
I want to rest my head close to the animals I care for and take care of.
While the moon shines down from above
As I fall asleep, I want to bask in the light of the moon and appreciate the beauty of the night sky.
I want to strum my guitar and yodelay-hee-hoo
I want to play music and sing the cowboy-style songs that represent this way of life.
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Yvonne Schwartz
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