Released February 8, 1993 Recorded 1992 Length 3:30 | Format 7"
CD
cassette Genre Country | |
B-side "Some Kinda Good Kinda Hold on Me" | ||
"Should've Been a Cowboy" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Toby Keith. It was released on February 8, 1993 as his debut single, and was served as the first single released from Keith's self-titled debut studio album, Toby Keith. On June 5, 1993, it reached number one 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.
Contents
It has received more than three million spins on country radio, making it the most-played country song of the 1990s.
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.
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.
Other media
The song is available as downloadable content on the music video 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.