Introduction:
Cowboys Don’t Shoot Straight Like They Used To (1981), a country song by country music legend Tammy Wynette, tells a tale of disappointment and disillusionment veiled in the imagery of the American West.
Released on her 1981 album You Brought Me Back, the song was produced by Chips Moman, a legendary figure behind the scenes in American music known for his work with Elvis Presley and his role in shaping the “Memphis sound.” Moman had previously collaborated with Wynette on several successful albums in the 1960s, and Cowboys Don’t Shoot Straight Like They Used To marked a reunion between the two.
The song itself is a lament about a love gone wrong. The narrator, a woman presumably from a rural background, sings about a charming cowboy who swept her off her feet but ultimately let her down. The lyrics use the cowboy as a metaphor for a bygone era of honesty and straightforwardness, contrasting it with the present where deception and dishonesty seem commonplace.
Cowboys Don’t Shoot Straight Like They Used To was a critical and commercial success. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, becoming one of Wynette’s biggest hits of the early 1980s. The song’s enduring popularity is a testament to Wynette’s status as a country music icon and her ability to connect with listeners through relatable themes of love, loss, and disillusionment. Cowboys Don’t Shoot Straight Like They Used To further solidified her reputation as the “First Lady of Country Music” and continues to resonate with audiences today.
Video:
Lyrics:
Big silver buckles and pre-faded jeansWhite knuckle rides on the bucking machineHe rode into my life looking just like a sunsetTurned out to be a bad dream I’d like to forget
Cowboys don’t shoot straight like they used toThey’ll look you in the eye and lie with their white hats onCowboys don’t shoot straight like they used toIt’s just wham bam, thank you ma’am and they’re gone
I traded my boots and saddle for a ticket to SeattleGet me off from underneath these western skiesI’m tired of old blue jeans and if I hear one more“Howdy, little lady”, well I think I’m gonna scream
Cowboys don’t shoot straight like they used toThey’ll look you in the eye and lie with their white hats onCowboys don’t shoot straight like they used toIt’s just wham bam, thank you ma’am and they’re gone
Cowboys don’t shoot straight like they used toThey’ll look you in the eye and lie with their white hats onCowboys don’t shoot straight like they used toIt’s just wham bam, thank you ma’m and they’re gone