Willie Nelson – My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys

About The Song

“My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys” is a song performed by Willie Nelson, released in 1980 as a single from his album Family Bible on Columbia Records. Written by Sharon Vaughn, the song was originally recorded by Waylon Jennings for the 1979 film The Electric Horseman, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in December 1979. Nelson’s version, a reflective ballad, peaked at No. 1 on the same chart on April 19, 1980, and charted for 14 weeks. The 3:03 track portrays the romanticized life of cowboys, with lyrics like: “I grew up a-dreamin’ of bein’ a cowboy / And lovin’ the cowboy ways.”

Nelson recorded the song in 1979 at Pedernales Recording Studio in Austin, Texas, produced by Willie Nelson and Chips Moman. The session featured The Family band, with Mickey Raphael on harmonica, Jody Payne on guitar, and Bobbie Nelson on piano, alongside a string section arranged by Moman. The arrangement is mellow, with a focus on Nelson’s understated vocals and Raphael’s harmonica, complementing the song’s nostalgic tone. Family Bible, a collection of gospel and traditional songs, reached No. 7 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and sold over 500,000 copies by 1982, earning gold certification from the RIAA. The track was released as the album’s lead single in February 1980.

Nelson chose the song after Jennings’ success with it, seeing it as a fit for his own style and the themes of Family Bible, which included personal and cultural reflections. The song’s origin tied to the film The Electric Horseman, where Jennings performed it as the theme, prompted Nelson to record his version during a period of collaboration with Jennings. In a 1980 interview with Country Music magazine, Nelson said: “It’s a song about dreams we all had growing up, and it felt right for this album.” The track gained attention through its association with the film, which starred Robert Redford and Jane Fonda.

The song has a notable cover history, with Jennings’ 1979 version setting the stage, followed by a 1981 rendition by The Highwaymen (Nelson, Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson) on their debut album Highwayman. Other versions include a 1990 recording by Don Williams on True Love and a 2018 take by Cody Johnson on Ain’t Nothin’ to It, per SecondHandSongs. A live performance from a 1980 Austin City Limits episode was released on the 2006 album Live at Austin City Limits. The song appeared in the 1982 film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, where Nelson performed it in a cameo role.

Nelson included “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys” in his live sets, notably at the 1980 Fourth of July Picnic in Austin, Texas, where he played it with Jennings. A 1995 duet with Merle Haggard was recorded for the album One More Last Chance, released in 1996. The song was performed at Farm Aid 1988, Nelson’s benefit concert for farmers, and featured in a 2016 documentary, The Outlaw Trail: The Story of Willie Nelson, aired on PBS, highlighting his influence on country music. The track remains a staple in Nelson’s performances, often paired with other cowboy-themed 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 days

I learned of all the rules of the modern-day drifter
Don’t you hold on to nothin’ too long
Just take what you need from the women you meet
And keep ridin’ on

Nighttime would find me in Fresno or the Mission
Every bar room told the same old story
The wine flowed like water, the women lost their laughter
And the outlaws died in the morning

My 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

Cowboys 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
And never complain ‘bout the frost

Sometimes I dream that I’m ridin’ my horse out
Headin’ for a place that’s new
But I’ve made my choice and I’m brought back again
To the place that I started from

My 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