Cowboys and Angels (George Michael song) explained

Cowboys and Angels
Cover:Cowboys_and_angels.jpg
Type:single
Artist:George Michael
Album:Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
B-Side:Something to Save
Released:[1]
Recorded:March 1989[2]
Genre:Jazz
Length:7:14
Label:Epic
Producer:George Michael
Prev Title:Heal the Pain
Prev Year:1991
Next Title:Soul Free
Next Year:1991

"Cowboys and Angels" is a song written and performed by English singer-songwriter George Michael, released on Epic Records in March 1991 as the fifth single from his second solo album, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (1990). The song became the first single released by Michael to miss the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 45. The album was released in the UK on 3 September and in the US on 11 September; each single had finished lower than its predecessor and "Cowboys and Angels" continued the pattern, although the other four had all reached the threshold of the top 40. It was also Michael's longest single to date, at 7 minutes 14 seconds. The saxophone solo is performed by Andy Hamilton.[3] The song is notable for being written in waltz time.

In a 2004 interview with Adam Mattera for UK magazine Attitude, Michael revealed the song was about a short-lived love triangle where he was in love with a man while a female friend was in love with him, but none knew of the others' feelings: "She was in love with me because she couldn't get me, and I was in love with him because I couldn't get him... It's a very personal lyric, but it's about the ridiculousness of wanting what you can't have."[4]

Critical reception

James Brown from NME wrote, "This song is George Michael's finest 45 for years. A soothing, moving croon in the company of some gentle jazz bass and percussion and a strong arrangement that shadows GM throughout. Reminiscent of a film noir soundtrack as opposed to all that late '80s matt black lifestyle schmaltz he'd decided to become king of. By far the most sophisticated song of the week without even trying, and it never becomes boor-ish."[5]

Track listing

The single included the track "Something to Save" as a B-side. Some releases of the single also included a 4 minute 34-second radio edit of the song, which omitted the 42-second piano intro and an entire verse from the album version.

  1. "Cowboys and Angels" – 7:14
  2. "Cowboys and Angels" (radio edit) – 4:34
  3. "Something to Save" – 3:18

Charts

Chart (1991)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[6] 164
Ireland (IRMA)[7] 15
UK Singles (OCC)[8] 45

Notes and References

  1. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 19. 16 March 1991.
  2. Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1. George Michael. 3 September 1990. liner notes. Epic Records. 467295 2. 8.
  3. Web site: Exclusive Interview *Edward Barker* . george-michael-news. 26 June 2016.
  4. Web site: George Michael's candid 2004 interview with Attitude. Attitude. 26 June 2012. 6 February 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200206111520/https://attitude.co.uk/article/george-michael-discusses-open-relationships-in-frank-2004-attitude-interview-part-3-1/13320/. dead.
  5. James. Brown. Singles. NME. 23 March 1991. 16. 16 April 2023.
  6. Web site: Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received May 29, 2015. 18 September 2015. imgur.com.
  7. http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement The Irish Charts
  8. http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/george%20michael/ Top 75 Releases