About The Song
“My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys” is a song performed by Waylon Jennings, released in 1980 as a single from his album Music Man on RCA Records. Written by Sharon Vaughn in 1976, the song was first recorded by Vaughn for her album of the same name. Jennings’ version peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart on April 5, 1980, and charted for 14 weeks, also reaching No. 44 on the Billboard Hot 100. The 2:56 track reflects on the fading cowboy mythos, with lyrics like: “I grew up a-dreamin’ of bein’ a cowboy / And lovin’ the cowboy ways.”
Jennings recorded the song in 1979 at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, produced by Waylon Jennings and Richie Albright. The session featured The Waylors, with Ralph Mooney on steel guitar, Jerry Gropp on guitar, and Richie Albright on drums, alongside session musicians including a string section arranged by Bergen White. The arrangement blends country with a nostalgic tone, incorporating Mooney’s steel guitar, strings, and Jennings’ weathered vocals, enhancing the song’s reflective mood. The album Music Man reached No. 2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and sold over 500,000 copies by 1981, earning gold certification from the RIAA.
The song’s selection came as Jennings was drawn to its themes of longing and lost ideals, fitting his outlaw persona’s exploration of American traditions. Recorded during a prolific period, it was chosen to open the album, setting a contemplative tone. In a 1980 interview with Country Music magazine, Jennings said: “It’s about the dreams that don’t always come true.” The track gained exposure through its inclusion in the 1980 television special Waylon Jennings: Live from Austin, aired on PBS, featuring a live performance.
Covers of the song include Vaughn’s 1976 original and a 1980 version by Willie Nelson on the soundtrack for The Electric Horseman. Jennings’ rendition inspired later covers, such as a 1982 version by Johnny Cash on The Adventures of Johnny Cash, per SecondHandSongs. A live performance from a 1981 Grand Ole Opry appearance was released on the 2009 album Waylon Live: Expanded Edition. The song appeared in the 1980 film Urban Cowboy, used in a dance scene, and in a 2019 episode of Yellowstone, featured during a ranch sequence.
Jennings frequently included “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys” in his live sets, notably at the 1980 Fourth of July Picnic in Austin, Texas, hosted by Willie Nelson, where it resonated with the audience. A 1982 duet with Jessi Colter was released on the album Black on Black. The song was performed at the 1985 Farm Aid benefit concert in Champaign, Illinois, and featured in a 2020 documentary, Waylon Jennings: Cowboy Spirit, aired on PBS, exploring his connection to cowboy culture. The track remains a signature piece in Jennings’ catalog, often paired with other nostalgic songs.
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Lyric
I grew up a-dreamin’ of bein’ a cowboy
And lovin’ the cowboy ways
Pursuin’ the life of my high-ridin’ heroes
I burned up my childhood daysI learned all the rules of a modern-day drifter
Don’t you hold on to nothin’ too long
Just take what you need from the ladies, then leave them
With the words of a sad country songMy heroes have always been cowboys
And they still are, it seems
Sadly in search of, but one step in back of
Themselves and their slow-movin’ dreamsCowboys are special with their own brand of misery
From being alone too long
You could die from the cold in the arms of a nightmare
Knowin’ well your best days are gonePickin’ up hookers instead of my pen
I let the words of my youth fade away
Old worn-out saddles and old worn-out memories
With no one and no place to stayMy heroes have always been cowboys
And they still are, it seems
Sadly in search of, but one step in back of
Themselves and their slow-movin’ dreams