The Cowboy Rides Away - Misplaced Pages

"The Cowboy Rides Away" is a song written by Sonny Throckmorton and Casey Kelly, and recorded by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in January 1985 as the second single from his album Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind. It peaked at number 5 on the United States Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, and at number 3 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada. It is the song used by Strait to close out his performances. This is also the name of his final tour commencing January 18, 2013.

It was the last song he sang at his final The Cowboy Rides Away Tour concert on June 7, 2014, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas with a worldwide record setting attendance for the show at 104,000.

Content

The song is about a cowboy riding away from a failed relationship. He and his wife/girlfriend have been through it all and they just can not work things out.

Cover versions

Country music duo Brooks & Dunn covered the song from the television special George Strait: ACM Artist of the Decade All Star Concert.

Critical reception

Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave the song an A grade, calling it a song that "embraces the traditional cowboy mythos while simultaneously reinventing it."

Chart positions

Chart (1985)	Peak position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)	5
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	3

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)	Gold	500,000
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

CountryUniverse.net Review by Kevin John Coyne
"George Strait Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
"American single certifications – George Strait – The Cowboy Rides Away". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 25, 2021.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p1829

v t e George Strait 1980s singles
Strait Country	"Unwound" "Down and Out" "If You're Thinking You Want a Stranger (There's One Coming Home)"
Strait from the Heart	"Fool Hearted Memory" "Marina del Rey" "Amarillo by Morning" "A Fire I Can't Put Out"
Right or Wrong	"You Look So Good in Love" "Right or Wrong" "Let's Fall to Pieces Together"
Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind	"Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind" "The Cowboy Rides Away" "The Fireman"
Something Special	"The Chair" "You're Something Special to Me"
#7	"Nobody in His Right Mind Would've Left Her" "It Ain't Cool to Be Crazy About You"
Ocean Front Property	"Ocean Front Property" "All My Ex's Live in Texas" "Am I Blue"
If You Ain't Lovin' You Ain't Livin'	"Famous Last Words of a Fool" "Baby Blue" "If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin')"
Beyond the Blue Neon	"Baby's Gotten Good at Goodbye" "What's Going On in Your World" "Ace in the Hole" "Overnight Success"

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