Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA) [3] | Gold | 500,000 |
| ||
| "The Cowboy Rides Away" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by George Strait | ||||
| from the album Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind | ||||
| B-side | "Any Old Time" | |||
| Released | January 14, 1985 | |||
| Recorded | June 26, 1984 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:20 | |||
| Label | MCA 52526 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Sonny Throckmorton, Casey Kelly | |||
| Producer(s) | Jimmy Bowen & George Strait | |||
| George Strait singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"The Cowboy Rides Away" is a song written by Sonny Throckmorton and Casey Kelly, and recorded by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in January 1985 as the second single from his album Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind . It peaked at number 5 on the United States Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, and at number 3 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada. It is the song used by Strait to close out his performances. This is also the name of his last and final tour commencing January 18, 2013.
It was the last song he sang at his final The Cowboy Rides Away Tour concert on June 7, 2014 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas with a worldwide record setting attendance for the show at 104,000.
The song is about a cowboy riding away from a failed relationship. He and his wife/girlfriend have been through it all and they just can’t work things out.
Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave the song an A grade, calling it a song that "embraces the traditional cowboy mythos while simultaneously reinventing it." [1]
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [2] | 5 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 3 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA) [3] | Gold | 500,000 |
| ||
George Harvey Strait Sr. is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. Strait is known as the "King of Country" and is considered one of the most influential and popular recording artists of all time. He was a prominent and pioneering figure in the neotraditionalist country movement of the 1980s, famed for his simple cowboy image and roots-oriented sound at a time when the Nashville music industry was dominated by country pop crossover acts.
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"What's It To You" is a debut song written by Robert Ellis Orrall and Curtis Wright, and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker that reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It was released In July 1993 as his debut single, and was served as the lead-off single from his self-titled debut album.
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"Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind" is a song written by Sanger D. Shafer and Darlene Shafer, and recorded by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in September 1984 as the lead-off single and title track from his album of the same name. It reached number one on the country music charts in the United States, and number 10 in Canada.
"Baby Blue" is a song written by Aaron Barker, and recorded by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in April 1988 as the second single from his album If You Ain't Lovin' You Ain't Livin'. It was a number-one hit in the United States, while it peaked at number 3 in Canada.
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"If You're Thinking You Want a Stranger " is a song written by Blake Mevis and David Wills, and recorded by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in January 1982 as the third and final single from his debut album Strait Country. It peaked at number 3 in the United States, while it was a number 2 in Canada.
"Am I Blue" is a song written by David Chamberlain, and recorded by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in August 1987 as the third and final single from his album Ocean Front Property. It became his 12th number 1 single in the U.S.
If You Ain't Lovin' " is a song written by Tommy Collins and originally recorded by country music artist Faron Young.
"Down and Out" is a song written by Dean Dillon and Frank Dycus, and recorded by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in August 1981 as the second single from his album Strait Country. It peaked at number 16 on the United States Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and reached number 14 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.
"You're Something Special to Me" is a song written by David Anthony, and recorded by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in December 1985 as the second and final single from his album Something Special. The song peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks and the Canadian RPM charts.
"Every Dog Has Its Day" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Toby Keith. It was released in March 2010 as the third and final single from his 2009 album American Ride. Keith wrote this song with Bobby Pinson and John Waples.
"Take a Back Road" is a song written by Rhett Akins and Luke Laird and recorded by American country music singer Rodney Atkins. It was released in April 2011 as the first single and title track from Atkin's album of the same name. The song reached number one the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in October 2011.
"Drinkin' Man" is a song co-written and recorded by the American country music singer George Strait. The song was written by Strait with his son, Bubba and Dean Dillon. It was released on 30 April 2012, as the third single from his album Here for a Good Time.
The Cowboy Rides Away Tour was a concert tour by American country music artist George Strait. The tour was divided into two legs: 21 concerts in 2013 and 27 concerts in 2014, for a total of 48 concerts, all in the United States. The tour started on January 18, 2013 in Lubbock, Texas, and ended in Arlington, Texas, on June 7, 2014. Strait was supported on the tour by his longtime eleven-member touring group, the Ace in the Hole Band. Appearing in arenas with six stadium dates included, Strait performed many of his most popular recordings and performance songs, including uptempo hits such as "Here for a Good Time", "Ocean Front Property", "How 'Bout Them Cowgirls", and "Troubadour", and softer ballads such as "I Saw God Today", "The Chair", and "I Can Still Make Cheyenne". His encores included "All My Ex's Live in Texas" and "Folsom Prison Blues", and he closed each show with one of his earliest hit songs, "The Cowboy Rides Away". This song that inspired the name for the tour was written by Sonny Throckmorton and Casey Kelly.
"Cold Beer Conversation" is a song recorded by American country music artist George Strait. It was released as the second single from his 28th studio album of the same name. The song was written by Al Anderson, Jimmy Yeary and Ben Hayslip.
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