Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? explained

Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?
Cover:Paula Cole whatcg.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Paula Cole
Album:This Fire
B-Side:Hush, Hush, Hush.
Producer:Paula Cole
Prev Title:I Am So Ordinary
Prev Year:1995
Next Title:I Don't Want to Wait
Next Year:1997

"Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" is a song by American singer Paula Cole. It was released on March 25, 1997, as the lead single from her second studio album, This Fire. The song is Cole's only top-ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, reaching number eight, and was her first top-ten hit in Canada, where it reached number seven. It was additionally a critical success, earning nominations for three Grammy awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Style and theme

The song traces the stages of a tragic romance. The first two verses explore infatuation and discovery; a bridge expresses disillusionment, and a final verse changes to despair. A brief transition and chorus that repeats the song's title follows each verse, and questions the loss of the narrator's idyllic dream of spending her lifetime with a Western-styled hero. The song is written in 4/4 time and maintains a minor key throughout. The verse score is minimalist and includes only low, rasping vocals by Cole with percussion accompaniment, while the choral transitions, chorus, and bridge use the full instrumentation and Cole's mezzo-soprano range.

Music video

The video was directed by Caitlin Felton.[1] It is simple, primarily featuring Cole in the foreground singing or posing for the camera, while her band plays in the background. These shots are augmented by various shadowy or obscure images of people walking, sitting at a table, sitting in a car and riding a horse. There are several points where the video looks grainy, adding to the effect of the song.

The video was nominated for Best Female Video at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards,[2] losing to Jewel's "You Were Meant for Me".[3]

Accolades

The song received Grammy nominations for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (losing to Sarah McLachlan's "Building a Mystery"), Record of the Year, and Song of the Year (losing both to "Sunny Came Home" by Shawn Colvin).[4] [5]

Track listings

US and Canadian maxi-CD single[6] [7]

  1. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (E-Team Drugstore Cowboy mix) – 7:11
  2. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (E-Team Sexuality mix) – 6:57
  3. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (Sylkscreen remix) – 4:54
  4. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (Sylkscreen Bone mix) – 4:52
  5. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (Sylkscreen Dream mix) – 4:54
  6. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (Sylkcity Jazz mix) – 4:54
  7. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (Dekkard's Rancho Pepe mix) – 9:40
  8. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (E-Team Drugstore Cowboy radio edit) – 3:57
  9. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (Sylkscreen radio edit) – 4:11
  10. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (edit) – 3:47

US 12-inch single[8]

A1. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (E-Team Drugstore Cowboy mix) – 7:11

A2. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (E-Team Sexuality mix) – 6:57

A3. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (Sylkscreen Bone mix) – 4:51

B1. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (Dekkard's Rancho Pepe mix) – 9:40

B2. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (Sylkscreen radio edit) – 4:11

B3. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (edit) – 3:57US 7-inch, CD, and cassette single[9] [10] [11]

A. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (edit) – 3:46

B. "Hush, Hush, Hush." (album version) – 4:22

UK and European CD single[12]

  1. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (album version edit) – 3:47
  2. "Hush, Hush, Hush." (album version) – 4:23
  3. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (E-Team Drugstore Cowboy radio edit) – 3:57

UK cassette single[13]

  1. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (album version edit) – 3:47
  2. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (E-Team Drugstore Cowboy radio edit) – 3:57

Australian CD single[14]

  1. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (album version edit)
  2. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (E-Team Drugstore Cowboy radio edit)
  3. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (Sylkscreen radio edit)
  4. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (Dekkard's Rancho Pepe mix)
  5. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" (E-Team Saxuality mix)

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1997)Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[15] 88
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[16] 35

Year-end charts

Chart (1997)Position
scope=rowCanada Top Singles (RPM)[17] 59
scope=rowCanada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[18] 79
UK Singles (OCC)[19] 172
US Billboard Hot 100[20] 38
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[21] 10
US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard)[22] 23
US Triple-A (Billboard)[23] 18

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)
United StatesSeptember 17, 1996Triple A radio[24]
February 4, 1997Contemporary hit radio[25]
March 25, 1997[26] [27]
United KingdomJune 16, 1997Warner Bros.[28]
JapanJuly 25, 1997CDWEA Japan[29]

Notes and References

  1. Production Notes. Billboard. 109. 6. 73. February 8, 1997. October 17, 2020.
  2. Web site: Beck, Jamiroquai Lead Video Music Awards Nominees. https://web.archive.org/web/20180616231256/http://www.mtv.com/news/1425628/beck-jamiroquai-lead-video-music-awards-nominees/. dead. June 16, 2018. MTV News staff. MTV. July 22, 1997. October 17, 2020.
  3. News: Winners at 1997 MTV Video Music Awards. Deseret News. Deseret News. Deseret News. September 5, 1997. October 17, 2020.
  4. Web site: 40th Annual Grammy Award Nominations. digitalhit.com. October 17, 2020.
  5. Web site: 1997 Grammy Winners. Grammy Awards. October 17, 2020.
  6. Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?. Paula Cole. 1996. US maxi-CD single disc notes. Warner Bros. Records, Imago Records. 9 43854-2.
  7. Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?. Paula Cole. 1997. Canadian CD single liner notes. Warner Bros. Records, Imago Records. CD 43854.
  8. Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?. Paula Cole. 1997. US 12-inch single vinyl disc. Warner Bros. Records, Imago Records. 0-43854.
  9. Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?. Paula Cole. 1997. US 7-inch single vinyl disc. Warner Bros. Records, Imago Records. 7-17373.
  10. Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?. Paula Cole. 1997. US CD single disc notes. Warner Bros. Records, Imago Records. 2-17373.
  11. Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?. Paula Cole. 1997. US cassette single cassette notes. Warner Bros. Records, Imago Records. 4-17373.
  12. Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?. Paula Cole. 1997. UK & European CD single liner notes. Warner Bros. Records. W0406CD, 9362-43886-2.
  13. Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?. Paula Cole. 1997. UK cassette single sleeve. Warner Bros. Records. W0406C, 5439-17322-4.
  14. Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?. Paula Cole. 1997. Australian CD single liner notes. Warner Bros. Records. 9362438672.
  15. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 14. 28. 13. July 12, 1997. October 17, 2020.
  16. News: Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (1.5. '97 – 7.5. '97). Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 20. May 2, 1997. October 2, 2019.
  17. RPM '97 Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. June 26, 2019.
  18. RPM '97 Year End Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. June 26, 2019.
  19. Web site: Najlepsze single na UK Top 40–1997. pl. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150604144848/http://hosting1642755.az.pl/sp%20uk%20best%201997.html. June 4, 2015. July 2, 2019.
  20. Web site: Billboard Top 100 – 1997. August 28, 2010. June 11, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090611194337/http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1997. dead.
  21. The Year in Music 1997: Hot Adult Top 40 Singles & Tracks. Billboard. 109. 52. YE-83. December 27, 1997.
  22. Best of '97: Top 40/Mainstream Singles. Airplay Monitor. 5. 52. 38. December 28, 1997.
  23. Best of '97: Triple A Tracks. Airplay Monitor. 5. 52. 28. December 28, 1997.
  24. Warner Eyes Wider Audience for Cole. Fitzpatrick. Eileen. Billboard. 108. 35. 18. August 31, 1996. October 17, 2020.
  25. New Releases. Radio & Records. 1182. 38. January 31, 1997. August 27, 2021.
  26. Web site: Where Have All the Cowboys Gone / Hush Hush Hush. Amazon. July 1, 2021.
  27. Web site: Where Have All the Cowboys Gone. Amazon. July 1, 2021.
  28. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 43. June 14, 1997. July 1, 2021.
  29. Web site: オール・ザ・カウボーイズ・ゴーン ポーラ・コール. All the Cowboys Gone Paula Cole. Oricon. ja. August 31, 2023.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.