With references to the wild-west not only lyrically and sonically, this track tells a story where Slayyyter has moved on from a former lover and exclaims that she will not allow this person nor anyone to break her heart because of past experiences she’s had.
Throughout the song, Slayyyter sings that this person still tries to call her for one-night stands and also expresses that this person has ghosted her in the past as their relationship progressed through these one-night stands. This person only sees Slayyyter for someone of sexual relations whereas she may have felt differently and actually wanted more than sexual encounters from/with this person.
Cowboys
slayyyter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With my best friend on a night drive
Your song playing on the speakers
Remembered how you still got my t-shirt
Heard that you got a new girlfriend
Heard that she's pretty fucking perfect
So why do you hit me up late at night?
When you wanna ride
Cowboys tryna break my heart
But this is not my first time at the rodeo
At the rodeo
Cowboys tryna break my heart
But this is not my first time at the rodeo
At the rodeo
Came to me in a dream
You were a mirage
You're not really there
Like a love outlaw
Why'd you start a fire
Burning in my heart
Baby's got me crying
It's tearing me apart
Bang, bang, shot me down on the first night
Shoulda known this would end in a gun fight
He was my John Wayne in the moonlight
Then gone in a flash with the sunrise
Tumbleweeds in all my messages
He ran off and I never saw him again
Baby don't call me tonight
Not gonna giddy up
When you wanna ride
Cowboys tryna break my heart
But this is not my first time at the rodeo
At the rodeo
Cowboys tryna break my heart
But this is not my first time at the rodeo
At the rodeo
You a simp looking desperado
Blowing through cash like you hit the lotto
Wanna go, yeah boy I thought so
I'm a playgirl straight from the grotto
I don't fuck with you at all
You're fast on the draw and your snake real small
I don't give a fuck if you call
You can put the pony right back in the stall
I let you come over every single night
Then you left and hung me out to dry
I've seen you on posters wanted for your crimes
Baby, I won't let you hurt me twice
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Mess with the bull
You're gonna get the horns
Hell hath no fury, baby
Like a woman scorned
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
The lyrics in "Cowboys" by slayyyter are essentially a reflection upon past romantic experiences, which the singer compares to a "rodeo," an intense and dangerous event. The opening lines of the song establish a setting - the wild west - and the singer states that she is riding with her best friend, listening to a song that reminds her of an ex-partner. She recalls that he still has her t-shirt, and questions why he would contact her late at night if he has a new girlfriend who is "perfect."
The chorus of the song deals with the singer's resolve not to be hurt again. She has been through difficult romantic situations before, and while cowboys (metaphors for men who are wild and free like the west) have tried to break her heart in the past, she is not willing to let them do it again. The second verse of "Cowboys" is presented from the point of view of the ex-partner, whom the singer nicknamed a "simp looking desperado." She describes him as spending money like he hit the lotto, and accuses him of leaving her high and dry after coming over every night. The singer is no longer interested in rekindling their relationship, and she encourages him to move on in the song's final lines.
Overall, "Cowboys" is a song about experiences with romance and the dangers involved with opening oneself up to vulnerability. The singer has been through tough times before, and she is wary of getting hurt again. She uses the wild west as a metaphor for the ups and downs of relationships, comparing the experience to a rodeo where anything can happen.
Line by Line Meaning
I was on the wild, wild west side
I was living a wild life
With my best friend on a night drive
I was out at night with my best friend
Your song playing on the speakers
I heard your song playing in the background
Remembered how you still got my t-shirt
You still have my old t-shirt
Heard that you got a new girlfriend
I heard that you are with someone new
Heard that she's pretty fucking perfect
I heard that she is amazing
So why do you hit me up late at night?
Why are you texting me at night?
Not gonna giddy up
I am not going to do anything
When you wanna ride
When you want to get together
Cowboys tryna break my heart
Some guys are trying to break my heart
But this is not my first time at the rodeo
But I've been through this before
Came to me in a dream
You appeared in my dream
You were a mirage
You were an illusion
You're not really there
But you are not here in real life
Like a love outlaw
You are like someone who is breaking the rules of love
Why'd you start a fire
Why did you ignite a spark
Burning in my heart
That is now burning in my heart
Baby's got me crying
It is making me cry
It's tearing me apart
It is destroying me from the inside
Bang, bang, shot me down on the first night
We had sex on the first night and then it ended
Shoulda known this would end in a gun fight
I should have known that this would be a problem
He was my John Wayne in the moonlight
You were my hero at night
Then gone in a flash with the sunrise
You disappeared in the morning
Tumbleweeds in all my messages
I got no response from you
He ran off and I never saw him again
You left and I never saw you again
Baby don't call me tonight
Don't call me tonight
You a simp looking desperado
You look like a fool, desperate for attention
Blowing through cash like you hit the lotto
You are spending money like crazy
Wanna go, yeah boy I thought so
You want something from me but I knew it
I'm a playgirl straight from the grotto
I am a player who is getting attention
I don't fuck with you at all
I am not interested in you anymore
You're fast on the draw and your snake real small
You are quick to talk but you are weak
I don't give a fuck if you call
I don't care if you contact me
You can put the pony right back in the stall
You can stop coming after me
I let you come over every single night
I let you come over every night
Then you left and hung me out to dry
You left me alone when I needed you the most
I've seen you on posters wanted for your crimes
I have seen that you are wanted for your wrongdoings
Baby, I won't let you hurt me twice
I will not let you hurt me again
Mess with the bull
Mess with me
You're gonna get the horns
You will face the consequences
Hell hath no fury, baby
You won't like what I will do
Like a woman scorned
When I feel humiliated
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
La la la la la
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Catherine Slater, Dave Burris, Micah Jasper
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
tomes28
I was on the wild, wild west side
With my best friend on a night drive
Your song playing on the speakers
Remembered how you still got my t-shirt
Heard that you got a new girlfriend
Heard that she's pretty fucking perfect
So why do you hit me up late at night?
Not gonna giddy up
When you wanna ride
Cowboys tryna break my heart
But this is not my first time at the rodeo
At the rodeo
Cowboys tryna break my heart
But this is not my first time at the rodeo
At the rodeo
Came to me in a dream
You were a mirage
You're not really there
Like a love outlaw
Why'd you start a fire
Burning in my heart
Baby's got me crying
It's tearing me apart
Bang, bang, shot me down on the first night
Shoulda known this would end in a gun fight
He was my John Wayne in the moonlight
Then gone in a flash with the sunrise
Tumbleweeds in all my messages
He ran off and I never saw him again
Baby don't call me tonight
Not gonna giddy up
When you wanna ride
Cowboys tryna break my heart
But this is not my first time at the rodeo
At the rodeo
Cowboys tryna break my heart
But this is not my first time at the rodeo
At the rodeo
You a simp looking desperado
Blowing through cash like you hit the lotto
Wanna go, yeah boy I thought so
I'm a playgirl straight from the grotto
I don't fuck with you at all
You're fast on the draw and your snake real small
I don't give a fuck if you call
You can put the pony right back in the stall
I let you come over every single night
Then you left and hung me out to dry
I've seen you on posters wanted for your crimes
Baby, I won't let you hurt me twice
Mess with the bull
You're gonna get the horns
Hell hath no fury, baby
Like a woman scorned
D'Angelo Wallace
as a texan we claim her
king mitchie
girl bye slayyyter did not make no noise with this song
nate
KINGGGGGGGGG
lucky
@king mitchie you seem pressed more than a panini over a song lmao
Casey :3
TASTE
LJ Oxley Official
@lucky PRESSED MORE THAN A PANINI💀💀💀💀i’m using that
goddesthetic
obsessed with the fact that slayyy is always experimenting with song structure and making it her own
rhys nymph
YESS! i wanted to see if anyone else noticed she was using unconventional structures
goddesthetic
@rhys nymph it was the first thing i noticed with TP, clouds, and now cowboys and im obsessed
Dana maybe
so true!! that + the 00 influence makes this heavenly good <3333