Willie Nelson's Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly (Fond of Each Other)

[Uncle Joe]

Willie Nelson has jumped on the Brokeback Mountain bandwagon. His new album includes a song written 20 years ago (not by Willie) called Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly (Fond of Each Other). They played it on the morning show on the Classic Rock station here in Philly this morning. It sounds good and it's dead serious. Not a comedy bit. ITunes has it if you want to hear it.

First off, here are the lyrics:

There's many a strange impulse out on the plains of West Texas;

There's many a young boy who feels things he don't comprehend.

Well small town don't like it when somebody falls between sexes,

No, small town don't like it when a cowboy has feelings for men.

Well I believe in my soul that inside every man there's a feminine,

And inside every lady there's a deep manly voice loud and clear.

Well, a cowboy may brag about things that he does with his women,

But the ones who brag loudest are the ones that are most likely queer.

Cowboys are frequently secretly fond of each other

What did you think those saddles and boots was about?

There's many a cowboy who don't understand the way that he feels towards his brother,

Inside every cowboy there's a lady who'd love to slip out.

Ten men for each woman was the rule way back when on the prairie,

And somehow those cowboys must have kept themselves warm late at night.

Cowboys are famous for getting riled up about fairies,

But I'll tell you the reason a big strong man gets so uptight:

Cowboys are frequently secretly fond of each other

That's why they wear leather, and Levi's and belts buckled tight.

There's many a cowboy who don't understand the way that he feels towards his brother;

There's many a cowboy who's more like a lady at night.

Well there's always somebody who says what the others just whisper,

And mostly that someone's the first one to get shot down dead:

When you talk to a cowboy don't treat him like he was a sister

Don't mess with the lady that's sleepin' in each cowboy's head.

Cowboys are frequently secretly fond of each other

Even though they take speed and drive pickups and shoot their big guns;

There's many a cowboy who don't understand the way that he feels towards his brother;

There's many a cowboy who keeps quiet about things he's done.

Here's what some news outlets reported:

Feb. 15, 2006

A different kind of country love song

Willie Nelson releases an ode to gay cowboys

Associated Press

NASHVILLE, TENN. - Country music outlaw Willie Nelson sang Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys and My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys more than 25 years ago.

But he released a different sort of cowboy anthem this Valentine's Day.

Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly (Fond of Each Other) may be the first gay cowboy song by a major recording artist.

The song, which became available exclusively through iTunes Tuesday, features choppy Tex-Mex style guitar runs and Nelson's deadpan delivery of lines like, "What did you think all them saddles and boots was about?" and "Inside every cowboy there's a lady who'd love to slip out."

The song, which debuted Tuesday on Howard Stern's Sirius Satellite Radio show, was written by Texas-born singer-songwriter Ned Sublette in 1981 — long before this year's Oscar-nominated Brokeback Mountain made gay cowboys a contemporary topic.

Sublette said he wrote the song during the Urban Cowboy craze and always imagined Nelson singing it.

Someone passed a copy of the song to Nelson in the late 1980s. According to Nelson's record label, Lost Highway, Nelson recorded it last year at his Pedernales studio.

Nelson, who has acted in some Western films, sings He Was a Friend of Mine on the Brokeback Mountain soundtrack.

and here's more:

After contributing a version of Bob Dylan's "He Was a Friend of Mine" for the Brokeback Mountain film soundtrack, Willie Nelson has recorded a new song, "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly (Fond of Each Other)." The plot of Brokeback Mountain centers around the romantic relationship between two cowboys. "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly (Fond of Each Other)" was written in 1981 by Ned Sublette, a New York-based songwriter who was born in Texas. Nelson recorded the song exclusively for iTunes, although plans are underway to include it on a future album and to produce a music video. The song begins with the lyrics, "There's many a strange impulse out on the plains of West Texas/There's many a young boy who feels things he can't comprehend." In a written statement, Nelson noted, "The song's been in the closet for 20 years. The timing's right for it to come out. I'm just opening the door."

[DrCowbell]

I posted about this in the Get The Word Out forum. It's a pretty cool song. Haven't heard the Willie Nelson version but the one by Pansy Division. Pretty cool!

[Uncle Joe]

Sorry Doc, I hadn't seen your post. Didn't mean to step on it.

[DrCowbell]

Nah no problem!

[RonJonSurfer]

Like a Rhinestone Cowboy...go Willie!!

[Uncle Joe]

Say it aint so, Hoppy.

[Elvish]

Oooh, my dad is not going to be pleased about this. He's such a homophobe...so much so that this may prevent him from making our pilgrimage to Texas for Willie's 4th of July Picnic.

[RonJonSurfer]

"Hope remains when gay pride is gone,

And it keeps you moving on. . . ."~Willie Nelson

Just changing your signature a bit.

[Uncle Joe]

Elvy, just explain to Dad that Willie wasn't extolling the virtues of gay caballeros (not that there's anything wrong with that) but he was pointing out that there are such critters.

[Elvish]

Here's a site if you wanna hear it: http://secretcowboys.com/

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