Lonesomely loping like a cowboy across the plains, the country-western ballad carries on its stark melody and bare words of history, tradition, and above all a flair that sets it apart from the average country tune.
Videos by American Songwriter
While the songs may sound simple, there is an art to the country-western ballad. These twang-tinted classics – a cowboy’s lullaby to the land, the woman, or the horse he loves or a gunslinger’s anthem to a rough-and-tumble existence, living and dying at the mercy of vigilante justice – tell stories that make us long for adventure, love, and even heartache. Here are 10 of our favorites.
10. “I Ride an Old Paint”
A classic cowboy tune about a cowpoke and his Paint Horse, “I Ride an Old Paint” has a past just as storied as the West. Today, the 1920s tune exists in many forms, having seen recordings from folk acts like the Weavers and Loudon Wainwright III and country mainstays like Linda Ronstadt and Johnny Cash.
However, no matter how it’s sung or by whom, the ballad continues to be bleak and bitter, but beautiful, evoking images of a rider and his steed across a wide, untamed expanse.
9. “Streets of Loredo”
As I walked out on the streets of Laredo / As I walked out on Laredo one day, / I spied a poor cowboy, / all wrapped in white linen / All wrapped in white linen and cold as the clay, plays the loping lament.
“Streets of Loredo,” also known as “The Dying Cowboy,” is a Western standard that dates back to the early 1910s. The forlorn tune has been taken on and carried throughout history by the likes of Johnny Cash, Joan Baez, Roy Rogers, Marty Robbins, Chet Atkins, Arlo Guthrie, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and so many more.
8. “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky”
While it doesn’t date back to the days of the Wild West, “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky” tells of a cowboy legend that harkens back to the days of old. The well-worn country-western tune, penned by Stan Jones, became a staple in many country musicians’ toolboxes, including that of Nelson.
7. “Always on My Mind”
Maybe I didn’t treat you / Quite as good as I should have / Maybe I didn’t love you / Quite as often as I should have / Little things, I should have said and done / I just never took the time / You were always on my mind, plays the standard “Always on My Mind.”
“Always on My Mind” is another popular country-western ballad that may not have ties to the rough-and-tumble cowboy days of old, but it is a classic all the same. Covered time and time again, it is one of the few country-western hits to have infiltrated the pop charts.
6. “El Paso”
Marty Robbins is hands-down the king of the cowboy tune; and while his 1950s classic “El Paso” didn’t crown him as such, it sure secured his place on the country-western throne. The song’s distinctive Spanish-flecked melody sets the story song apart from many of the loping ballads synonymous with the genre.
5. “Back In The Saddle Again”
“Back In The Saddle Again” became a signature of cowboy actor Gene Autry and has gone on to have a life of its own beyond film. The cheery song, with its yodel flourishes and lively strings, has gone on to become one of country-western’s most enduring tunes.
4. “San Antonio Rose”
The Western swing, “San Antonio Rose,” is another quintessential addition to the country songbook. The lively Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys hit quickly became a standard and has since been covered by the likes of Patsy Cline, Gene Autry, Pat Boone, John Denver, and even actor Clint Eastwood.
3. “Red River Valley”
Then come sit by my side if you love me / Do not hasten to bid me adieu / Just remember the Red River Valley / And the cowboy that’s loved you so true, plays the cowboy standard “Red River Valley.”
With uncertain origins that date back to the late 1800s, “Red River Valley” has existed in many forms and gone by several different names, but what hasn’t changed about the classic is its heart-tugging hold on its listener.
2. “Home on the Range”
“Home on the Range” is the cowboy classic. The theme song of the American West in a way, the leisurely tune lopes along with a whistle and a hum, evoking images of endless prairies and lowing livestock. The simplistic song has been sung by everyone from country acts like Roy Rogers and Nelson to the band Kansas and even Porky Pig.
1. “Big Iron”
The gunslinging epic “Big Iron” is not only the ultimate Robbins song, but it’s also among the greatest country-western tunes around. Accompanying the artist’s acclaimed Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs, the 1959 tune has been sung the world over, but no version compares to Robbins’ classic country croon and unmatched storytelling talents.
(Photo by Andrew Putler/Redferns)
