The Sons of the Pioneers did several songs for the John Ford movies Wagon Master (in 1949) and Rio Grande in (1950).
The six members who made the Sons of the Pioneers famous in the late 1930s with their close-harmonied western style music were elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1980. In 1995, they were inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
In 1977, the Smithsonian designated the Sons of the Pioneers as "national treasures". Through many changes to the line-up, the Sons of the Pioneers have continued to perform.
Ride 'Em Cowboy
Sons Of The Pioneers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's the only life I've ever known
It started in new mexico
Must've been a hundred years ago.
I used to be the best they say
Ridin' young wild horses for my pay
Now I'm much too old it seems
Chorus:
They used to tell me, ride em' cowboy
Don't let 'em throw you down
You can't make no money, if you hit the ground
They just said, ride 'em cowboy
Don't let 'em throw you down
You're the toughest cowboy in town.
I've always been the rhinestone cowboy
I don't care what glen campbell has to say
What am I supposed to do
Midnight was a champion
He's the only bronc I could not ride
Now they tell me midnight's blind
He only rides the children for a dime
Ladies used to hang around
I must've been a hero in their eyes
My silver spurs are rusty now
Lord, I wish I tried to settle down.
Chorus:
They used to tell me, ride em' cowboy
Don't let 'em throw you down
You can't make no money, if you hit the ground
They just said, ride 'em cowboy
Don't let 'em throw you down
You're the toughest cowboy in town.
Travelin' with the rodeo
That's the only life I've ever known...
The lyrics of Sons of the Pioneers' song "Cowboy" tell the story of an aging rodeo rider who has spent his entire life on the rodeo circuit. He reflects on the days when he would ride young, wild horses for a living and was considered the toughest cowboy in town. Now, he's much too old for it but still dreams of doing it. The song's chorus emphasizes the importance of perseverance and not letting failure get in the way of success. The cowboy may not have made much money on the circuit, but he always rose above the challenge and stayed true to his calling.
Line by Line Meaning
Travelin' with the rodeo
My life is spent traveling with the rodeo
That's the only life I've ever known
I have only known the life of a rodeo cowboy
It started in new mexico
My career as a rodeo cowboy started in New Mexico
Must've been a hundred years ago.
It feels like a long time ago when I started my career in New Mexico
I used to be the best they say
People used to consider me the best rodeo cowboy
Ridin' young wild horses for my pay
I used to make money by riding young and fierce horses
Now I'm much too old it seems
Now I am too old to be a rodeo cowboy
I only ride wild horses in my dreams.
Now, I can only ride wild horses in my dreams
They used to tell me, ride em' cowboy
I used to be encouraged to ride the horses, without fear
Don't let 'em throw you down
I was advised to keep my balance and not let the horses throw me off their back
You can't make no money, if you hit the ground
Falling off the horse reduces your chances of making money through rodeo contests
They just said, ride 'em cowboy
I was only advised to ride the horses without any other form of training or support
Don't let 'em throw you down
I was advised to keep my balance and not let the horses throw me off their back
You're the toughest cowboy in town.
I had a reputation of being the toughest cowboy in town
I've always been the rhinestone cowboy
I have always been a flashy cowboy, wearing shiny clothes and riding horses with showy equipment
I don't care what glen campbell has to say
I am not bothered by Glen Campbell's opinion
What am I supposed to do
I am not sure what I am supposed to do, now that I can no longer ride the horses
Midnight was a champion
Midnight was a horse that had won many rodeo contests
He's the only bronc I could not ride
Midnight was the only horse that I could not ride successfully
Now they tell me midnight's blind
I have heard that Midnight has lost its vision
He only rides the children for a dime
Now, Midnight is only ridden by children, who pay a small fee
Ladies used to hang around
Women used to be attracted to me when I was a rodeo cowboy
I must've been a hero in their eyes
I was probably seen as a hero by women
My silver spurs are rusty now
My once shiny spurs have become old and rusty
Lord, I wish I tried to settle down.
I wish I had tried to settle down instead of spending my life as a rodeo cowboy
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@KenCarsonTribute
Fantastic. Your videos never cease to excel.
@EyeShotFirst
Thanks! I think the same of yours. Luckily, I have more pictures since I got my scanner up. I've got a huge version of that rodeo picture. After I get my dropbox emptied, I'll send you some to use in your videos.
@KenCarsonTribute
oo! I'd love that. Thank you so much! Where'd you get the pictures, if I may ask?
@EyeShotFirst
The book that came with the Way Out There box set.
@KenCarsonTribute
Ah! Sounds like a treasure-trove.
@EyeShotFirst
Yeah, it's a shame it is hard back. I don't have the heart to ruin it giving it a good scan. I'm going to attempt to write down the info in it some day. It's got a lot of info on the recording sessions. It talks about who was there, what went on and what not. I learned a lot. I didn't know a good handful of tracks with Roy weren't actually meant as Sons of the Pioneers songs, but to give people exposure to Roy Rogers the upcoming Western star. Cowboy Night Herd Song being one.