“Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?” by Paula Cole
The simplest way of understanding the character of a cowboy is as it being based on an idealized depiction of the southwestern US cattle ranchers of days old. While many people don’t live like that these days, the image has endured as a symbol of manliness, due primarily to the relatively rugged way these guys made their living.
So the implication, in a more modern context, is that if a lady lands a ‘cowboy’ as her significant other, then she has found someone who is actually up to the task of effectively leading a family. Or that is the way the concept is generally presented in this song.
Now as suggested earlier, being a ‘cowboy’ has a lot to do with image, and said image has been perennially portrayed in Hollywood. Accordingly, individuals who adhere to this ideology are known to possess some peculiar stylistic choices. So considering that the addressee drives a 1956 Chevy for instance, that’s one clear sign to Paula that he is in fact a rugged dude.
And to make a long story short, she’s definitely down with wifing him. And in line with traditional familial ideologies, she’s more than willing to be a housewife so long as the addressee takes care of the monetary matters of the home. So that is fundamentally the singer’s perfect vision of a happy home and by extension a ‘cowboy’, i.e. a man who doesn’t fail in taking care of his responsibilities.
And based on the second verse, it would appear that she is in fact living the dream. It may not be that they have moved in with each other just yet. But the vocalist is playing a role in the addressee’s life whereas she soothes him after a hard day’s work. And as far as the labor he is engaged in, it is described as “working on the tractor”.
So the implication would be that he’s into farming and/or auto mechanics, both of which are indeed rugged lines of employment.
But as put forth by the title/chorus, the thesis sentiment being relayed is one of discontent. That is to say that the narrator evidently hasn’t found her ‘cowboy’ yet. And that is what’s finally revealed in the third verse. She and the addressee do in fact proceed to start a family and even relocate to a different part of the country.
Also, this segment further alludes to him being engaged in farming activities. But by the looks of things, he hasn’t proven as family-oriented as hard-working idealized. Contrastingly, he apparently prefers chillin’ at the bar with his homeys more than being at home.
So the song ultimately concludes as it began, with the singer longing for a lover who reminds her of the likes of John Wayne.
Paula Cole
Paula Cole is a singer from a town in Massachusetts known as Rockport. The biggest achievement of her career can be said to have been named Best New Artist at the 1998 (40th Annual) Grammy Awards. And in that regard, Paula even bested the likes of Fiona Apple and P. Diddy.
Facts about “Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?”
Also as suggested by that accolade, she scored a few hits along the way. And the most notable in his discography is “Where Have All the Cowboy Gone”, which was released on 25 March 1997 by Warner Records alongside a now-defunct indie label called Imago Records.
The music video to this track, which received a 1997 MTV VMA nomination, employed Caitlin Felton as its director.
The works of Paula Cole actually received a whopping seven Grammy nominations in 1998. And three of them were actually related to “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?”.
But relatively speaking the song possesses a humble chart history. Most notably it peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, though breaking the top 40 of the year-end Hot 100 for 1997.
Paula Cole, who was born into a musical family, wrote and produced this track. At the time of its release, she would have just been entering into her 30s.
Paula is also known as being sort of a bohemian as far as the music industry is concerned. For instance, she apparently wasn’t into the Grammys at all until actually being nominated/invited in 1998. And even then, what many viewers seemed to have noticed most about her was the fact that she intended the event, receiving an award even, with unshaven armpits.
In 2017, in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the release of this track, Paula not only issued a new version of the tune but also an updated music video to go along with it.
The aforementioned John Wayne (1907-1979), who is namedropped in the outro, is the most-famous fictional cowboy in American history, i.e. a classic Hollywood actor who specialized in portraying such roles. And the “Marlboro Man” is actually a famous depiction of a cowboy which is used to advertise Marlboro cigarettes.
