Cowboy Like Me

Album: Evermore (2020)
Charted: 71
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Cowboy Like Me" tells the story of two young swindlers who fall in love. Swift is so used to her and her partner in crime using their charms to scam rich old men and ladies, she doubts their own romance will last.

    And the old men that I've swindled
    Really did believe I was the one
    And the ladies lunching have their stories about
    When you passed through town


    Both Swift and her lover are independent spirits and bandits. Knowing how practiced he is at games of the heart, she knows she will end up getting hurt.

    You had some tricks up your sleeve
    Takes one to know one
    You're a cowboy like me
  • Produced by Swift's frequent collaborator Aaron Dessner, this is a bluesy country song reminiscent of her early Nashville days. Josh Kaufman, who won the sixth season of The Voice, plays lap steel guitar, harmonica, and mandolin.
  • Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons' fame provides backing vocals, which start on the second chorus.
  • During an appearance on the Table Manners podcast, Marcus Mumford explained how Aaron Dessner contacted him seeking a "discreet" location for a high-profile artist to work. Mumford recalled his reaction: "I was like, 'Cool. Well, if it's one of your homies, then I'm sure it'll be fine. Like, what if it's Beyoncé or something?'" He then revealed the artist's identity: "And it was Taylor f---ing Swift."

    Taylor Swift subsequently used Mumford's Scarlet Pimpernel Studios in London to complete work on her album Evermore. Mumford described her as a "phenomenal house guest," adding that he "burned a lot of vegetables for her," and she "brought a killer candle, actually."

    He summarized the experience: "She finished the second half of Evermore in our studio. And then she asked me to sing along, and I said, 'Yes,'" referencing his backing harmony vocals on "Cowboy Like Me."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Prince

PrinceFact or Fiction

Prince is shrouded in mystery, making him an excellent candidate for Fact or Fiction. Is he really a Scientologist? Does he own an exotic animal?

Alan Merrill of The Arrows

Alan Merrill of The ArrowsSongwriter Interviews

In her days with The Runaways, Joan Jett saw The Arrows perform "I Love Rock And Roll," which Alan Merrill co-wrote - that story and much more from this glam rock pioneer.

Van Dyke Parks

Van Dyke ParksSongwriter Interviews

U2, Carly Simon, Joanna Newsom, Brian Wilson and Fiona Apple have all gone to Van Dyke Parks to make their songs exceptional.

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

Amy Grant

Amy GrantSongwriter Interviews

The top Contemporary Christian artist of all time on song inspirations and what she learned from Johnny Carson.

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New York

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New YorkSong Writing

Can you be married in one country but not another? Only if you're part of a gay couple. One of the first famous singers to come out as a lesbian, Janis wrote a song about it.