Cowboy Song
Rufus Wainwright Lyrics


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See one thousand eyes forget the starry skies
Leavin' you
Every sunny path's a bitter aftermath
Leavin' you
So would you kindly shut the door
It's strange to think I needed air before

Then shut down the world
And stay within four walls
Please shut down the world
And stay within these four walls

Just one look at you I'm finished wanting to
Challenge God
So I made my heart a home of elements so strong
We'll never feel the cold
And if God should come to call
I'll leave the curtains drawn
Won't make the slightest sound
'Til He's out o' town
And our secret tune remains
And we're done failing death

Then shut down the world
And stay within four walls
Please shut down the world




And stay within these four walls
And stay within these four walls

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Cowboy Song" by Rufus Wainwright speak to the concept of isolation and finding solace in one's introspective thoughts. The opening verse describes a sense of detachment from the world and the stars, with the singer wishing they could shut themselves off from the world completely. The second verse speaks to a love interest who inspires them to give up challenging God, and instead to focus on building a strong internal foundation that can withstand anything. The chorus repeats the desire to shut out the world, implying a need for solitude as a means of finding peace and security.


Overall, the song feels deeply personal and introspective, with a focus on the inner workings of the mind and how we can find strength within ourselves. The lyrics are poetic and evoke a sense of melancholy, but also a hopeful sense of resilience and determination to weather whatever storms may come.


Line by Line Meaning

See one thousand eyes forget the starry skies Leavin' you
The singer notices people ignoring the beauty of the night sky and leaving the singer behind.


Every sunny path's a bitter aftermath Leavin' you
Whenever something good happens, it always leads to a negative result and leaves the singer behind.


So would you kindly shut the door It's strange to think I needed air before
The singer wants the door to be closed, realizing that it's funny how they used to need air to survive, but now they only want solitude.


Then shut down the world And stay within four walls Please shut down the world And stay within these four walls
The artist wants to be isolated from the world and stay within the safety of four walls.


Just one look at you I'm finished wanting to Challenge God
The artist finds contentment in the presence of a loved one and no longer feels the need to question God's plan.


So I made my heart a home of elements so strong We'll never feel the cold And if God should come to call I'll leave the curtains drawn
The singer has built a strong emotional foundation with their loved one that can withstand any challenge, and even if God comes to judge them, the singer will not be ashamed or expose their private life.


Won't make the slightest sound 'Til He's out o' town And our secret tune remains And we're done failing death
The singer promises to remain quiet and keep their love's secrets hidden from God, and that their love will conquer death.


Then shut down the world And stay within four walls Please shut down the world And stay within these four walls And stay within these four walls
The artist reiterates their desire to shut out the world and remain in the safety of four walls with their loved one.




Contributed by Jordyn V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Christopher Todd Durnil

This, along with Elton John's "So Sad the Renegade," were written for Gus Van Sant's version of BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN - before he turned the film over to Ang Lee. I wish Van Sant's vision could have happened, though we do have a masterpiece with Lee.

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