"Cowgirls Don't Cry" is a song written by

Ronnie Dunn Ronald Gene Dunn (born June 1, 1953) is an American country music singer-songwriter and record executive. Starting in 2011, Dunn has worked as a solo artist following the temporary dissolution of Brooks & Dunn. He released his Ronnie Dunn (alb ...

and Terry McBride of

McBride & the Ride McBride & the Ride is an American country music band consisting of Terry McBride (lead vocals, bass guitar), Ray Herndon (background vocals, guitars), and Billy Thomas (background vocals, drums). The group was founded in 1989 through the assist ...

and recorded by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

duo

Brooks & Dunn Brooks & Dunn are an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, both of whom are vocalists and songwriters. The duo was founded in 1988 through the suggestion of songwriter and record producer, Tim DuBois. Before thei ...

. It was released in October 2008 as the fourth and final single on their studio album '' Cowboy Town''. One month after its chart entry, it was re-recorded and re-released as a duet with

Reba McEntire Reba Nell McEntire ( ; born March 28, 1955), or simply Reba, is an American country music, country singer and actress. Dubbed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Queen of Country", she has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Sin ...

. The song is Brooks & Dunn's 41st and most recent Top 10 hit on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' country charts and McEntire's 56th.

Content

"Cowgirls Don't Cry" is a mid-tempo with a

fiddle A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...

intro. Its lyric focuses on a female character who faces hardship. In the first verse, she is a little girl who has just been given a pony to ride, and although she repeatedly falls off, she does not cry. By the second verse, she is an adult, and her husband is having an affair, although again she does not cry. She discovers in the third verse that her father is dying, after her mother calls her and puts him on the line. He then tells her, "Cowgirl, don't cry".

Re-release

An alternate version of this song that features

's vocals on the final chorus was released to radio after she and the duo performed the song on the

Country Music Association The Country Music Association (CMA) is an American trade association with the stated aim of promoting and developing country music throughout the world. Founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee, it originally consisted of 233 members and was the f ...

Awards on Wednesday, November 12, 2008.Brooks & Dunn release Cowgirls single with Reba
/ref> In addition, a video was released that featured both the duo and McEntire. Starting with the chart week of November 29, 2008, the song was credited on the U.S. country charts as "Brooks & Dunn featuring Reba McEntire". The Reba McEntire collaboration was officially released as a digital single on February 10, 2009. The duet version features a key change in the final chorus, which is not present in the original recording. This re-release is the version that appears on the compilation album '' #1s… and Then Some''.

Chart performance

On the chart week of January 31, 2009, the song entered Top Ten on the ''

'' country singles charts, giving Brooks & Dunn their forty-first Top Ten hit and breaking a record previously held by

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

for the most Top Ten country hits by a duo or group. In addition, it became McEntire's fifty-sixth Top Ten country hit, breaking

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...

's record for the most Top Ten country hits for a solo female.

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{authority control 2008 singles Country ballads 2000s ballads Brooks & Dunn songs Reba McEntire songs Male–female vocal duets Songs written by Terry McBride (musician) Song recordings produced by Tony Brown (record producer) Songs written by Ronnie Dunn Music videos directed by Deaton-Flanigen Productions Arista Nashville singles 2007 songs