Ain't Always the Cowboy

"Ain't Always the Cowboy" is a song written by Brandon Kinney and Josh Thompson, and recorded by American country music singer Jon Pardi. It is the second single from Pardi's third studio album Heartache Medication. (2019) The track is about a non-committal woman that uses Western iconography. "Ain't Always the Cowboy" peaked at numbers three and six on Billboard's Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts respectively. It also reached number 55 on the Hot 100. It was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting sales of over one million units in the United States. The song achieved similar success in Canada, giving Pardi his fifth number-one hit on the Country chart, and peaked at number 52 on the Canadian Hot 100. The accompanying music video for the single, directed by Carlos Ruiz, features Pardi barrel racing.

"Ain't Always the Cowboy"
Single by Jon Pardi
from the album Heartache Medication
ReleasedMarch 16, 2020 (2020-03-16)
GenreCountry
Length3:39
LabelCapitol Nashville
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Jon Pardi
  • Bart Butler
  • Ryan Gore
Jon Pardi singles chronology
"Beer Can't Fix"
(2020)		 "Ain't Always the Cowboy"
(2020)		 "Tequila Little Time"
(2021)
Music video
"Ain't Always The Cowboy" on YouTube

Content and history

The song uses Western imagery to describe a woman who does not want to commit to a relationship. Pardi told the blog Taste of Country, ""I feel like the topic of the song hasn’t been written about in this way, and I love songs that approach things differently and offer fresh perspectives".[1]

Thompson told the same publication that upon meeting with Brandon Kinney, he only had the title in mind, and after the two writers began drinking beer together, they came up with the idea for the song. The demo, featuring vocals from Thompson, was then sent to Kinney's cousin Bart Butler, who is also Pardi's producer. Butler chose for the song to be recorded at a faster tempo than the demo, adding prominent fiddle from Jenee Fleenor and a lead guitar from Rob McNelley, along with several backing vocals all sung by session vocalist Russell Terrell.[2] Taste of Country writer Cillea Houghton described the song as "put[ting] as much focus on the restless woman who stole the titular cowboy's heart as it does the cowboy himself, tied together with descriptive lyrics".[3]

Music video

Carlos Ruiz directed the music video, which features Pardi barrel racing.[1]

Chart performance

On the week of September 12, 2020, "Ain't Always the Cowboy" debuted at number 99 on the Billboard Hot 100.[4] Eleven weeks later, it peaked at number 55 the week of November 28, and stayed on the chart for eighteen weeks.[5][6] On the week of December 19, it reached numbers three and six on both the Billboard Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts respectively.[7][8] In Canada, the song debuted at number 100 on the Canadian Hot 100 the week of September 26.[9] Nine weeks later, it reached number 52 the same week it peaked on the Billboard Hot 100, and remained on the chart for fifteen weeks.[6][10]

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[19] Gold 40,000‡
United States (RIAA)[20] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Desperes, Tricia (June 23, 2020). "Jon Pardi makes heartache look beautiful in 'Ain't Always the Cowboy' video". Taste of Country. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  2. Roland, Tom (March 12, 2020). "Makin' Tracks: Jon Pardi's 'Ain't Always the Cowboy' Offers Strait Talk for Women". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  3. Houghton, Cillea (March 5, 2020). "on Pardi Flips Cowboy Heartbreak on Its Head With 'Ain't Always the Cowboy' [Listen]". Taste of Country. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  4. "The Hot 100: September 12, 2020". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 12, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  5. "The Hot 100: November 28, 2020". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  6. "Ain't Always The Cowboy by Jon Pardi". aCharts.co. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  7. "Country Airplay: December 19, 2020". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  8. "Hot Country Songs: December 19, 2020". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  9. "Canadian Hot 100: September 26, 2020". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  10. "Canadian Hot 100: November 28, 2020". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  11. "Jon Pardi Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  12. "Jon Pardi Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  13. "Jon Pardi Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  14. "Jon Pardi Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  15. "Jon Pardi Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  16. "Country Airplay Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  17. "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  18. "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  19. "Canadian single certifications – Jon Pardi – Ain't Always the Cowboy". Music Canada. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  20. "American single certifications – Jon Pardi – Ain't Always the Cowboy". Recording Industry Association of America.
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