“Scroll down to the end of the article to listen to music.”
Introduction
“The Last Cowboy Song,” penned by Ed Bruce and Ron Peterson, and famously performed by The Highwaymen, featuring Kris Kristofferson, is a poignant reflection on the fading image of the traditional American cowboy. The lyrics paint a melancholic picture of a figure whose time is slowly passing, replaced by the advancements of the modern world.
The song evokes a sense of nostalgia, lamenting the transformation of the open range into fenced feedlots and the legendary cattle trails into concrete highways. The cowboy, once a symbol of freedom and self-reliance, is now depicted working mundane jobs, his dreams of wide-open spaces confined to his nights. The line, “his dream’s of tomorrow, surrounded by fences, but he’ll dream tonight of when fences weren’t,” encapsulates this bittersweet reality.
Kristofferson’s weathered voice, blending with the other iconic outlaws, adds a layer of authenticity and gravitas to the narrative. Their rendition serves as both a tribute to the romanticized past and a somber acknowledgment of its inevitable decline. The song doesn’t just mourn the loss of an era; it subtly critiques the relentless march of progress that often leaves behind cherished traditions and ways of life. It’s a reminder to pause and reflect on what is being lost in the pursuit of advancement, a final, heartfelt ballad for a disappearing icon.
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Lyrics
[Chorus]
This is the last cowboy song
The end of a hundred year waltz
The voices sound sad as they’re singin’ along
Another piece of America’s lost
[Verse 1: Waylon Jennings]
He rides the feed lots, clerks in the markets
On weekends sellin’ tobacco and beer
And his dreams of tomorrow, surrounded by fences
But he’ll dream tonight of when fences weren’t here
[Verse 2: Kris Kristofferson]
He blazed the trail with Lewis and Clark
And eyeball to eyeball, old Wyatt backed down
He stood shoulder to shoulder with Travis in Texas
And rode with the Seventh when Custer went down
[Chorus]
This is the last cowboy song
The end of a hundred year waltz
The voices sound sad as they’re singin’ along
Another piece of America’s lost
[Verse 3: Willie Nelson]
Remington showed us how he looked on canvas
And Louis L’Amour has told us his tale
Me and Johnny and Waylon and Kris sing about him
And wish to God we could have ridden his trail