This is Part 3 of my four-part series about my favorite rodeo
songs, which came about because July 4, 2019 was the 150th anniversary of the
Deer Trail Rodeo in Deer Trail, Colorado. It was a rodeo from my younger days
that I didn't miss.
In Part 1, I promised pictures of me as the Brush Rodeo Queen
c. 1970 before this series is finished. I STILL haven’t located those pictures… :-(
So far, my seven favorite
rodeo-related songs are:
7 – Bad Braham Bull by Chris LeDoux
6 – Strawberry Roan by Marty
Robbins
5 – Bandy the Rodeo Clown by
Moe Bandy
4 – All Around Cowboy by Marty
Robbins
As with the other song pairings,
my Numbers 2 and 3 share a similar theme (not sure what that says about my
personality…).
Country music artist Lynn
Anderson, released Rodeo Cowboy in 1969. She re-released it in 1989. In 1969,
the lyrics to Rodeo Cowboy *spoke* to my 14-year-old self as heartbreakingly,
knee-weakingly romantic. This song inspired the first novel I ever wrote—hand-written
on narrow-lined notebook paper. I lost this story somewhere, somehow along the
path of my life’s travels, which isn’t a bad thing. It was an awful story. ;-)
Chris LeDoux covered this song
and changed the lyrics to the cowboy’s point of view. You can read those
altered lyrics HERE.
Glenn Sutton, who was married
to Lynn Anderson from 1968 to 1977, wrote Rodeo Cowboy. As an aside, he also
wrote or co-wrote songs for Tammy Wynette and David Houston. Sutton also served
as producer for Lynn Anderson’s albums.
The theme of Rodeo Cowboy and
two of George Strait’s rodeo songs, Amarillo by Morning and I Can Still Make
Cheyenne share similar stories of the obsession with the rodeo and the
impossibility of a lasting relationship.
According to Wikipedia (HERE), Amarillo by Morning is listed in the Top 100 Western Songs of all time by the
Western Writers of America. This song was written and recorded in 1973
(reaching #37 on country music charts), but it didn’t become the iconic rodeo
song until George Strait covered it in 1983. It is typically considered his
signature song.
On to my countdown…
Number 3 – Amarillo by Morning
Number 2 – Rodeo Cowboy
Part 4 (December 11th)
will include my list of honorable mentions along with my number one favorite
rodeo-related song.
Until next time,
Kaye Spencer
Kaye Spencer
Writing through history one
romance upon a time
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Images courtesy Morguefile.com (photographers: xandert and talisin)
Images courtesy Morguefile.com (photographers: xandert and talisin)
Out of all George Strait's songs, Amarillo by Mornin' and The Chair are my two favorites. Marty Robbins is my all time fave singer in C&W, but I really do love those two songs by George Strait--though I'm not a huge George Strait fan. (I know, I know...sacrilege!) But there's just something about his voice in Amarillo by Mornin' that is so perfect for that song.
ReplyDeleteSee? I heard him saying "mornin'" and that's what I typed. LOL
DeleteCheryl,
ReplyDeleteI heard "mornin', also. lol George Strait was in the right place at the right time in the world of country music--right in between the classic country era and the just before what I call 'new country'. It's like he's an era all his own.
Both songs are exceptional, and like Cheryl I love 'Amarillo by Morning'. It is one of the few country songs I really, really enjoy and will play more than once. Of Randy Travis and 'Forever and Ever Amen' is another I will listen more than once. Doris
ReplyDeleteDoris,
DeleteI'm selective with my country music taste, too. It has to be the older country that I grew up with or I'd prefer not to be subjected to it. lol
I've never been a big fan of George, and I really don't know why because he has some songs that rise above his usual style. That said, he was a smart man, choosing songs that suited his range. I've lost track how many times Doug has watched his one and only movie and enjoys the main song. I think it's just that hubby likes that feisty little redhead lol. Forever and Ever Amen is one of my top favorite songs and I love the video. I'm eager to see who your number one fave rodeo song is. Could it possibly be Garth Brooks' Beaches of Cheyenne? That song "speaks" to me. Thanks for sharing, Kaye. This was fun.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth,
DeletePure Country was a movie that played over and over and over at my house when my daughter (now 40) was in her teeny-bopper years. It got really old. lol
Garth will be on my Honorable Mention list, but not my Number One favorite.
I'm enjoying everyone's responses. Our musical tastes, interests, etc. are all so different. I love that.
Again, this is new stuff to this foreigner, but full of Western atmosphere. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteC.A.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by. I'm glad it's interesting for you. Reading and commenting on blogs takes time. I appreciate everyone who reads, whether they leave a comment or not.
I've been to very few rodeos--3 to be exact. As a south easterner I know very little about them and even less about the rodeo songs so this was a very informative blog for me.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kaye. I feel like I wanta break down with a little yodeling about now. LOL I know these artists, but I have never heard these songs...amazingly...
All the best to you.
Sarah,
DeleteAs I tell people, I'm a wealth of useless information and senseless trivia. lolol I enjoy tidbits of the obscure and unknown.