Dime Store Cowgirl

"Dime Store Cowgirl" is a song recorded by American country music artist Kacey Musgraves that serves as the second single from her second major label studio album, Pageant Material. It was released to country radio on August 3, 2015, through Mercury Nashville. The song was written and produced by Musgraves with Luke Laird and Shane McAnally. The song was nominated for "Song of the Year" at the 2016 Americana Music Honors & Awards.

"Dime Store Cowgirl"
Single by Kacey Musgraves
from the album Pageant Material
ReleasedAugust 3, 2015 (2015-08-03)
GenreCountry
Length3:35
LabelMercury Nashville
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Kacey Musgraves
  • Luke Laird
  • Shane McAnally
Kacey Musgraves singles chronology
"Biscuits"
(2015)		 "Dime Store Cowgirl"
(2015)		 "Space Cowboy" / "Butterflies"
(2018)

Title of the song

The title of the song originates from when Kacey and her sister, Kelly Musgraves, were a part of the kids band, the Buckaroos. The band had a dress code requiring all the members to wear a cowboy hat; Kacey wore hers cocked back, what she called "pin-up cowgirl-style." In an interview with FADER,[1] Kacey recalled how a mother of another girl she would sing with in the group came up to her and said, 'Don't you wear your hat like that, you're just gonna look like some dimestore cowgirl!' She claims she has always had this thought in the back of her brain, inspiring the name for the song.

Lyrical interpretation

In lyrics of the song, Musgraves goes through the numerous experiences she has had while being on the road and visiting new places. However, in the chorus she says "Cause I'm still the girl from Golden / Had to get away so I could grow / But it don't matter where I'm going / I'll still call my hometown home" This is in reference to her small hometown of Golden, Texas which, in an interview with Country Line Magazine, Musgraves said was a good "springboard" for her career where people always believed in and supported her.[2]

Some of the notable experiences referenced in the song can be found in the verses. In the first verse, Musgraves begins by referencing having her "picture made with Willie Nelson" one of Musgrave's friends and country star who she has gone on tour with several times.[3] She then talks about seeing the saguaro cactus in New Mexico and visiting the US monument Mount Rushmore.

In the second verse, Musgraves sings that she "slept in a room with the ghost of Gram Parsons." Musgraves has elaborated on the meaning of this lyric, saying that she has stayed at "the infamous Joshua Tree Inn" Motel, in California" several times, including filming the video for Follow Your Arrow there. The motel is where 27-year-old singer-songwriter Parsons died of an overdose in 1973. The motel is rumored to be haunted, and Musgraves has said that she felt she had paranormal experiences, such as objects moving/art taken down off the wall.[4][5] In the same verse, Musgraves describes visiting the River Walk at San Antonio Texas,[6] and the white cliffs of Dover, an iconic white chalk landmark on the English coastline.[7]

In the bridge of the song before the final chorus, Musgraves sings that she is "happy with what I got" drawing the conclusion that although the places she has been and things she has seen might be amazing, she will always be the same girl and think of her hometown as her real home, hence the lyrics, "You can take me out of the country, But you can't take the country out of me."

Live performances

In 2015, Musgraves performed the song at the CMA awards and on Jimmy Kimmel Live![8][9]

Critical reception

Accolades
Publication Rank List
RoughStock 3 The Top 30 Singles of 2015[10]

Awards and nominations
Year Association Category Result
2016 Americana Music Honors & Awards[11] Song of the Year Nominated

Chart performance
Chart (2015) Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[12] 44

References
  1. Cooper, Duncan (May 28, 2015). "The Story Behind "Dime Store Cowgirl," The Best Song On Kacey Musgraves' Pageant Material". The FADER. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  2. Geddie, Tom (October 27, 2012). "Musgraves: Country Music Future". County Line Magazine. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  3. "Kacey Musgraves on hanging with Willie Nelson, touring with Harry Styles". SFChronicle.com. 16 August 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  4. "Kacey Musgraves Recounts Her Encounter with Gram Parsons' Ghost". June 23, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  5. Freeman, Nate (September 10, 2015). "A Joshua Tree Motel Room, Haunted by the Ghost of a Country Legend". The New York Times. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  6. "River Walk". The City of San Antonio - Official City Website. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  7. "The White Cliffs of Dover". National Trust. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  8. "Kacey Musgraves Performs 'Dime Store Cowgirl' at the 2015 CMA Awards". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  9. Betts, Stephen L. (2015-09-15). "See Kacey Musgraves Unleash Her Inner 'Dime Store Cowgirl'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  10. Matt Bjorke (January 2, 2016). "The Top 30 Singles of 2015". RoughStock. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  11. Thanki, Juli (September 22, 2016). "Isbell takes home Album, Song of the Year Americana Awards". The Tennessean. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
  12. "Kacey Musgraves Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
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