Jon Pardi Flips Cowboy Heartbreak on Its Head With ‘Ain’t Always the Cowboy’ [Listen]
Jon Pardi continues to prove that he's carrying the torch for traditional country music with "Ain't Always the Cowboy." Written by Josh Thompson and Brandon Kinney, the song rejects the idea of the cowboy always being the one to ride into the sunset, instead leaving him with a broken heart as the woman he loves takes off for new horizons.
"Ain't Always the Cowboy" puts as much focus on the restless woman who stole the titular cowboy's heart as it does the cowboy himself, tied together with descriptive lyrics including "never heard lonely get this quiet" and "a tumbleweed heart, chasin' that wind." The first verse paints the picture of a woman with a "made up mind" and tears in her eyes as she declares that she's leaving for good, while the second verse captures the lonely cowboy who also harbors a sense of respect for her.
"There’s a lot of songs and subjects that this album talks about, and it could be sad like a loss, or just kind of down, but the songs lift you up," the artist says. "They put you in a higher place."
The new single from Heartache Medication is only a melancholy moment if you're living it. Pardi's "Ain't Always the Cowboy" may be salt in the wound for that group, but that's OK. The country-loving genre isn't afraid of a little hurt.
Did You Know?: Pardi's "Heartache Medication" became his fourth No. 1 hit, after starting his career with four singles that missed the Top 10.
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Jon Pardi's "Ain't Always the Cowboy" Lyrics:
"It ain't always the cowboy / That ain't got a lot of hang around / Ain't got no settle down in their boots / Gone's just what they do / That restless, runnin', searchin' for somethin' / Leavin' love in the dust of a midnight Chevrolet / It ain't always the cowboy that rides away," Pardi sings in the chorus over a melody with hints of steel guitar.