Where have all the cowboys gone?
by Paula Cole Oh you get me ready in your 56 chevy Why don’t we go sit down in the shade Take shelter on my front porch The dandy lion sun scorching, Like a glass of cold lemonade I will do laundry if you pay all the bills CHORUS: Where is my John Wayne Where is my prairie song Where is my happy ending Where have all the cowboys gone Why don’t you stay the evening Kick back and watch the TV And I’ll fix a little something to eat Oh I know your back hurts from working on the tractor How do you take your coffee my sweet I will raise the children if you pay all the bills CHORUS: Where is my John Wayne Where is my prairie song Where is my happy ending Where have all the cowboys gone I am wearing my new dress tonight But you don’t, but you don’t even notice me Say our goodbyes Say our goodbyes Say our goodbyes We finally sell the chevy When we had another baby And you took the job in tennessee You made friends at the farm And you joined them at the bar Almost every single day of the week CH
A Twist | Reviewer: Anonymous | 3/24/09 I think there might be just a little more to the song than most people realize. It’s true that it’s making an observation about the fate of many women who buy into a certain aesthetic, i.e. marrying the Marlboro man, being his housewife, etc. But notice the lines where she seems to be negotiating (“I will do the laundry” and (later) “raise the children,” “if you pay all the bills”). I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the “if you pay all the bills” gets reiterated; a big part of what this girl was looking for in a man was a bread-winner. And that’s what she got, but not much else. So, yeah, this song is about how many women get taken for granted by their “cowboys,” and possibly about how only a few men are real men. But it’s also (at least a little) about what can happen when you make life-changing decisions before you’ve even come close to figuring out what really matters.
