In April of this year, country legend Willie Nelson (“Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys,” writer of Patsy Cline’s “Crazy”) re-recorded his 2006 cover “Cowboys are Often Frequently Fond of Each Other” with Orville Peck. Nelson’s 2006 cover was of the original 1981 Latin country song by Ned Sublette, who wrote the lyrics but had no popular recording. Orville Peck is a gay South African country musician who debuted with his album Pony in 2019. This rerecording was included on Peck’s 2024 album Stampede. I learned about this rerecording via my Tumblr dashboard (yes, I am still on Tumblr). It was quite the hot topic when it came out. I admit to not being an Orville Peck fan, as I tend not to care about new country music. However, I enjoy old country, Willie Nelson included, and I feel that this rerecording can liven up a classic for a new generation, as Peck is popular with queer youth.
The original song, and thus this recording, discuss the queer themes we now associate with cowboys versus the general bigotry associated with the south. The original 1981 song was intended to be satirical but does not appear satirical in Nelson or Peck’s delivery. This song explores the attraction of cowboys to other cowboys in a repressed way. The lyrics assert that the womanizing part of the stereotypical American cowboy can be used to hide homosexual feelings: “And the cowboy may brag about things that he's done with his women / But the ones who brag loudest are the ones that are most likely queer.” The song also suggests, in 1980s terms, that there is no binary when it comes to gender expression: “And I believe to my soul that inside every man there is the feminine / And inside every lady there's a deep manly voice loud and clear.” The original song would have been quite brave at the time it was written, as it was during the AIDS crisis and a period of very strong homophobia in the United States. The song references the dangers of being queer in small country towns, and especially if someone is open about it. Willie Nelson’s 2006 recording is noted as the first gay-themed country song to be mainstream. In light of typical “that’s so gay” jokes of the 2000s, and the 2008 vote to legalize gay marriage, which did not pass, this would have still been quite brave. Ned Sublette noted in 2006 that he wrote the song with Willie Nelson in mind.
The song has the typical sound of an old country song, which is maintained in the 2024 rerecording, with the addition of Orville Peck’s rougher sounding vocals and Willie Nelson’s much more aged voice. The music video includes typical country imagery associated with westerns and cowboys: bars, guitars, horses, barns, etc. We also see a lot of queerness, such as a woman with a very typical butch lesbian look: short hair, no sleeves, tattoos, drinking beer (which is more associated with masculinity), and later a woman with a cut up flannel shirt. The men in the video check each other out and dance with their jeans very close together. Along with women who fit into the ‘butch’ category, we see feminine men who fall into the ‘twink’ category for gay men, such as the man with the sleeveless denim jacket. The video includes a diverse range of couples that are gay, lesbian, and interracial. Peck himself adds an air of the feminine to his outfits with a wider range of designs, colors, and sequins. He is also sporting his characteristic mask.
Along with everything else in the video, there is a very interesting ‘easter egg’, if you will. The church reads that the Sunday service will feature Willie Nelson, his late sister Bobbie Nelson, and the late black gospel band The Bells of Joy. Bobbie and Willie Nelson performed together in the band Willie Nelson and Family, wherein Bobbie was the guitarist. The Bells of Joy have nothing directly to do with Nelson but were known for popularizing Christian hymns and would be fitting for a church in the south. I thought this was a rather sweet gesture while also bringing classic country vibes to a new country artist’s work.
This recording is a wonderful rendition that combines the old with the new, and the traditional with the modern. It will likely be a staple with queer youth and is a humorous, yet honorary nod to southern queers, who are often ignored when discussing being LGBTQ+ in America.
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