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Don't Come the Cowboy with Me Sonny Jim!

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1990 single by Kirsty MacColl
"Don't Come the Cowboy with Me Sonny Jim!"
Single by Kirsty MacColl
from the album Kite
B-side"Other People's Hearts"
Released12 March 1990
GenreCountry
Length3:46
LabelVirgin
Songwriter(s)Kirsty MacColl
Producer(s)Steve Lillywhite
Kirsty MacColl singles chronology
"Innocence"
(1989) 		"Don't Come the Cowboy with Me Sonny Jim!"
(1990) 		"Miss Otis Regrets/Just One of Those Things"
(1990)

"Don't Come the Cowboy with Me Sonny Jim!" is a song by British singer and songwriter Kirsty MacColl, released on 12 March 1990 as the fourth and final single from her second studio album, Kite. It was written by MacColl and produced by Steve Lillywhite. The song reached No. 82 in the UK and remained in the charts for four weeks. A music video was filmed to promote the single, directed by Sarah Tuft.

Critical reception

On its release, Gary Crossing of Record Mirror wrote that "Don't Come the Cowboy with Me Sonny Jim!" is "a delightful folksy lullaby with gorgeous harmonies, lilting country guitars and worldly wise lyrics". Mick Mercer of Melody Maker described it as "a cornball country and western tune" which "slightly disguis MacColl's usual cunning lyrics in there, concerning the problems with men's attitudes to women and the balance between carnal lust and sex". He added, "The type of music ensures it won't reach as many people as it might - you only like this stuff if you're unfortunate enough to actually look like Hank Wangford, correct? - but it's horribly good. As per bleeding usual." Edwin Pouncey of New Musical Express considered the song to be "a full-throated and brazenly funny singalong" and "the best C&W you'll hear this side of Katy Moffatt".

In a review of Kite, Robin Denselow of The Guardian described the song as "country-style", "emotional" and "personal", with "straight talking matched against own lap steel guitar work". Lynden Barber of The Sydney Morning Herald commented, "Though titles like 'Don't Come the Cowboy with Me Sonny Jim!' could spell twee-ness, there's a sharpness to the lyrics and spontaneity to the playing that obviates problems." Fred Goodman of Rolling Stone noted, "Tracks like 'Don't Come the Cowboy with Me Sonny Jim!' show that MacColl has something to say with those fine pipes." L. Kent Wolgamott of the Lincoln Journal Star felt MacColl sounded reminiscent of Skeeter Davis on the "countryish" song. Fred Shuster of the Los Angeles Daily News wrote, "Songs like 'Don't Come the Cowboy with Me Sonny Jim!' and 'Fifteen Minutes' are well-sung and tuneful". Tom Harrison of The Province described the song as "spritely" and a "worthy sequel" to MacColl's "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis".

Track listing

7" single
  1. "Don't Come the Cowboy with Me Sonny Jim!" - 3:46
  2. "Other People's Hearts" - 3:39
12" single
  1. "Don't Come the Cowboy with Me Sonny Jim!" - 3:46
  2. "Complainte Pour Ste Catherine" - 3:31
  3. "Other People's Hearts" - 3:39
CD single
  1. "Don't Come the Cowboy with Me Sonny Jim!" - 3:46
  2. "Other People's Hearts" - 3:39
  3. "Complainte Pour Ste Catherine" - 3:31
  4. "Am I Right" - 1:27

Personnel

Production

  • Steve Lillywhite - producer of "Don't Come the Cowboy with Me Sonny Jim!" and "Complainte Pour Ste Catherine"
  • Kirsty MacColl, Colin Stuart - producers of "Other People's Hearts" and "Am I Right"
  • Alan Douglas, Chris Dickie - engineers
  • Mark Wallis - mixing

Other

  • Bill Smith Studio - sleeve design

Charts

Chart (1990) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart 82

Cover versions

  • In 2002, American singer Kelly Willis included a version of the song on her fifth studio album Easy. She told Billboard that year: "That's one of my favorite cuts. I love music, and I wore that song out. I had to think twice about doing this because of her death. I really wanted to do it justice."

References

  1. "New Singles". Music Week. 10 March 1990. p. 33. ISSN 0265-1548.
  2. Stewart Mason. "Kite - Kirsty MacColl | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-07-27.
  3. ^ "KIRSTY MACCOLL | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. 2012-12-31. Retrieved 2019-07-27.
  4. "Kirsty MacColl - Don't Come The Cowboy With Me, Sonny Jim". YouTube. 2012-06-20. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
  5. "Clients — Sarah Tuft". Sarahtuft.com. Archived from the original on 2019-08-27. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
  6. Crossing, Gary (17 March 1990). "Singles". Record Mirror. p. 14.
  7. Mercer, Mick (17 March 1990). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 36.
  8. Pouncey, Edwin (17 March 1990). "Singles". New Musical Express. p. 15.
  9. Denselow, Robin (12 May 1989). "Champion of the world". The Guardian.
  10. Barber, Lynden (30 May 1989). "Driving guitars and the poet's tongue". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  11. Goodman, Fred (4 May 1990). "Session singer breaks out with first-rate album". The Daily Sentinel.
  12. Wolgamott, L. Kent (8 May 1990). "Three new releases get top grades". Lincoln Journal Star.
  13. Shuster, Fred (8 July 1990). "'Rheingold' recording solid; Spanic Boys get TV boost". Leader-Telegram.
  14. Harrison, Tom (19 January 1990). "Sounds". The Province.
  15. Billboard – Google Books. 17 August 2002. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
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