Should've Been a Cowboy
| "Should've Been a Cowboy" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Toby Keith - Cowboy single cover.png | ||||
| Single by Toby Keith | ||||
| from the album Toby Keith | ||||
| B-side | "Some Kinda Good Kinda Hold on Me" | |||
| Released | February 8, 1993 | |||
| Format | ||||
| Recorded | 1992 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:30 | |||
| Label | Mercury 864990 | |||
| Writer(s) | Toby Keith | |||
| Producer(s) |
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| Toby Keith singles chronology | ||||
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"Should've Been a Cowboy" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Toby Keith. It was released in February 1993 as the lead off single released from Keith's self-titled debut album Toby Keith. On June 5, 1993, it reached number 1 on the US Hot Country Songs chart and the Canadian RPM Country Tracks. It also peaked at number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it a minor crossover hit.
It has received more than 3 million spins on country radio, making it the most played country song of the 1990s.[1]
The song was formerly a staple following sporting events at Oklahoma State University (home of the Cowboys), often played over the venue's PA system several times in succession as fans emptied the stadium or arena.[2]
Contents
Content
The lyrics romanticize the cowboy lifestyle through references to old Westerns. The first verse references Gunsmoke, in which cowboy hero Marshall Dillon never settled down with love interest Miss Kitty. The second verse tells of his own adventures if the narrator were a cowboy: having "a sidekick with a funny name" (possibly a reference to sidekicks like Tonto or Festus or Gordito), travelling west to California (including the historical quote "Go West, young man"), hunting down Western outlaw Jesse James, joining up with the Texas Rangers, and so on. The chorus refers to famous singing cowboys Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, and lists common patterns depicted in Westerns such as six shooters (revolvers) and cattle drives.
Music video
"Should've Been a Cowboy" was Keith's first music video. It was filmed in Las Cruces, New Mexico and was directed by Marc Ball and premiered on CMT in March 1993. A second version of the video was made featuring clips of the 1992 Dallas Cowboys.[citation needed]
Other media
The song is available as downloadable content on the game Rock Band.
Chart positions
"Should've Been a Cowboy" debuted at number 69 on the Hot Country Songs chart for the week of March 6, 1993. It became Keith's first number one single on the chart dated June 5, 1993, remaining there for two weeks. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on November 28, 2012, almost twenty years after its release.[3]
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[4] | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[5] | 93 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[6] | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1993) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[7] | 73 |
| US Country Songs (Billboard)[8] | 39 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[9] | Gold | 500,000 |
|
*sales figures based on certification alone |
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References
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
- ↑ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 0991." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. June 26, 1993. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
- ↑ "Toby Keith – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Toby Keith.
- ↑ "Toby Keith – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for Toby Keith.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
External links
| Preceded by | Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks number-one single June 5–12, 1993 |
Succeeded by "Blame It on Your Heart" by Patty Loveless |
| Preceded by | RPM Country Tracks number-one single June 26, 1993 |
Succeeded by "Hometown Honeymoon" by Alabama |
- Pages with broken file links
- Articles with unsourced statements from December 2013
- Singlechart usages for Canadacountry
- Singlechart called without artist
- Singlechart called without song
- Singlechart usages for Billboardcountrysongs
- Certification Table Entry usages for United States
- 1993 singles
- Toby Keith songs
- Debut singles
- Billboard Hot Country Songs number-one singles
- RPM Country Tracks number-one singles
- Number-one debut singles
- Songs written by Toby Keith
- Song recordings produced by Harold Shedd
- Mercury Records singles
- 1993 songs
