I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart

Montana wrote the song in 1934 when she was feeling lonely and missing her boyfriend; it was recorded a year later when producer Art Satherley, of ARC Records, needed one more song at a Prairie Ramblers recording session.[6] Montana was the group's soloist at the time. Her song is based on Stuart Hamblen's western song Texas Plains: he is therefore credited as a cowriter. Patsy Montana embellished the simpler musical pattern of the original, especially with her yodeling. Patsy also used a lot of the original words: the song is somewhat of a feminine answer to its precursor.

Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.[7] In 2012 her record was added to the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry list of "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important" American sound recordings.[6][8]

"I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart" has been recorded by, among others,

• Rosalie Allen, in a 1940s yodeling version,[9]
• Patti Page (as a single)[10]
• Suzy Bogguss (on her 1989 album Somewhere Between). Her version peaked at #77 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
• Dixie Chicks (on their 1990 debut album Thank Heavens for Dale Evans)
• Lynn Anderson (on her 1992 album Cowboy's Sweetheart)
• Nickel Creek on their 1993 album Little Cowpoke
• LeAnn Rimes (on her 1994 album All That)[11]
• Clelia Adams on her 2004 album Heartbeat Highway
• Leslie Avril on her 1994 album Champagne and Desolation
• Bev McShanag and Olive Bice on their 1985 cassette Yodelling in Harmony
• The Cartwheels (The Australian band) on their 2001 ep The Cartwheels
• Ha*Ash (American band) made a Spanish yodeling version of the song called "Vaquera" on her 2005 album Mundos Opuestos.[12][13]
• Phish (performed in 1996 and released in 2007 on Vegas 96)
• Cyndi Lauper featuring yodeling Jewel (on her 2016 album Detour).[14]