From cowboy homages to songs about living on the range, country music is no stranger to life in the West. Because of that connection, the Yellowstone soundtrack has made use of songs from country’s biggest stars. Find our favorite needle drops from the latest season of Yellowstone, below.
Videos by American Songwriter
1. “Whiskey Fever” (Zach Bryan)
Got a whiskey-drinkin’ fever that I cannot shake
And those girls downtown are more than I can take
High-waisted rockies and the sailor’s mouths
And the boys in the back of the bar screamin’ loud
Zach Bryan has been on quite the upward trajectory. He can thank Yellowstone for at least a portion of his ever-rising fame. “Whiskey Fever” features on episode one of season five. This track remains one of the best in Bryan’s catalog. Its inclusion in the series fits both the atmosphere and themes of the beloved show.
2. “Smell Like Smoke” (Lainey Wilson)
If I look a little drunk, it’s ’cause I drank some
If my neck’s a little red, it’s ’cause I am one
Heaven’s where I’m gonna go, the Bible says so on my shelf
But if I smell like smoke, it’s only ’cause I’ve been through hell
On top of joining the cast, Lainey Wilson contributed quite a few cuts to the Yellowstone soundtrack. While some of her inclusions were written for her lauded album Bell Bottom Country, “Smell Like Smoke” was written specifically for the series. The song has a marked cowboy spirit, perfect for the plot of this Western-themed show.
3. “No Horse to Ride” (Luke Grimes)
I’d be a drunk without a drink to drink
A guitar with a broken string
Without you, I’d be a fallin’ star without a midnight sky
A cowboy with no horse to ride
Luke Grimes proved his chops as an actor and a musician in the latest season of Yellowstone. “No Horse to Ride” isn’t Grimes’ first foray into music, but it is possibly his most popular. The song is tailor-made for a cowboy, which given his character, is apt.
(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
