Cowgirls Don't Cry
Encyclopedia
"Cowgirls Don't Cry" is a song recorded by American
country music duo Brooks & Dunn
on their 2007 album Cowboy Town
, from which it was released as the fourth single. It was written by Ronnie Dunn
, one-half of the duo, and Terry McBride
, former lead singer of McBride & the Ride
. One month after its chart entry, it was re-recorded and re-released as a collaboration with Reba McEntire
. The song is Brooks & Dunn's forty-first and final Top Ten hit on the Billboard
country charts, and McEntire's fifty-sixth.
intro. Its lyric focuses on a female character who faces hardship. In the first verse, she is a little girl who has just been given a pony to ride, and although she repeatedly falls off, she does not cry. By the second verse, she is an adult, and her husband is having an affair, although again she does not cry. She discovers in the third verse that her father is dying, and places a phone call to him. He then tells her, "Cowgirl, don't cry".
's vocals on the final chorus was released to radio after she and the duo performed the song on the Country Music Association
Awards on Wednesday, November 12, 2008. In addition, a video was released that featured both the duo and McEntire. Starting with the chart week of November 29, 2008, the song was credited on the U.S. country charts as "Brooks & Dunn featuring Reba McEntire". The Reba McEntire collaboration was officially released as a digital single on February 10, 2009. The duet version features a key change in the final chorus, which is not present in the original recording. This re-release is the version that appears on the compilation album #1s… and Then Some
.
country singles charts, giving Brooks & Dunn their forty-first and final Top Ten hit and breaking a record previously held by Alabama
for the most Top Ten country hits by a duo or group. In addition, it became McEntire's fifty-sixth Top Ten country hit, breaking Dolly Parton
's record for the most Top Ten country hits for a solo female.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country music duo Brooks & Dunn
Brooks & Dunn
Brooks & Dunn was an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, who were both vocalists and songwriters. They were paired by record producer Tim DuBois in 1990. Before the duo's foundation, both members of the duo were solo recording artists...
on their 2007 album Cowboy Town
Cowboy Town
Cowboy Town is the tenth and final studio album by country music duo Brooks & Dunn. It was released October 2, 2007 on Arista Nashville. Produced by the duo and Tony Brown, the album has accounted for four singles on the Billboard country singles charts: "Proud of the House We Built", "God Must...
, from which it was released as the fourth single. It was written by Ronnie Dunn
Ronnie Dunn
Ronnie Gene Dunn is an American country music singer-songwriter, known for being one half of the duo Brooks & Dunn. In 2011, Dunn began working as a solo artist following the breakup of Brooks & Dunn...
, one-half of the duo, and Terry McBride
Terry McBride (musician)
Terry McBride is an American country music artist. Between 1989 and 1994, and again from 2000 to 2002, McBride was the lead vocalist and bass guitarist in the band McBride & the Ride, a country music group which recorded six studio albums and charted more than ten singles on the Billboard Hot...
, former lead singer of McBride & the Ride
McBride & the Ride
McBride & the Ride was an American country music band initially composed of Terry McBride , Ray Herndon and Billy Thomas . The group was founded in 1989 through the assistance of record producer Tony Brown...
. One month after its chart entry, it was re-recorded and re-released as a collaboration with Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...
. The song is Brooks & Dunn's forty-first and final Top Ten hit on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
country charts, and McEntire's fifty-sixth.
Content
"Cowgirls Don't Cry" is a mid-tempo with a fiddleFiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
intro. Its lyric focuses on a female character who faces hardship. In the first verse, she is a little girl who has just been given a pony to ride, and although she repeatedly falls off, she does not cry. By the second verse, she is an adult, and her husband is having an affair, although again she does not cry. She discovers in the third verse that her father is dying, and places a phone call to him. He then tells her, "Cowgirl, don't cry".
Re-release
An alternate version of this song that features Reba McEntireReba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...
's vocals on the final chorus was released to radio after she and the duo performed the song on the Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
Awards on Wednesday, November 12, 2008. In addition, a video was released that featured both the duo and McEntire. Starting with the chart week of November 29, 2008, the song was credited on the U.S. country charts as "Brooks & Dunn featuring Reba McEntire". The Reba McEntire collaboration was officially released as a digital single on February 10, 2009. The duet version features a key change in the final chorus, which is not present in the original recording. This re-release is the version that appears on the compilation album #1s… and Then Some
Number 1s… and Then Some
#1s… and Then Some is the title of a two-disc compilation album released on September 8, 2009 by country music duo Brooks & Dunn. It is the duo's fifth greatest hits package and their last album together...
.
Chart performance
On the chart week of January 31, 2009, the song entered Top Ten on the BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
country singles charts, giving Brooks & Dunn their forty-first and final Top Ten hit and breaking a record previously held by Alabama
Alabama (band)
Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook...
for the most Top Ten country hits by a duo or group. In addition, it became McEntire's fifty-sixth Top Ten country hit, breaking Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
's record for the most Top Ten country hits for a solo female.
| Chart (2008-2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 44 |
| Canadian Billboard Hot 100 | 49 |