“Dancin’ Cowboys”
Bellamy Brothers
Written by David Bellamy
Billboard
#1 (1 week)
August 2, 1980
After “Sugar Daddy” went to No. 1, the second single from You Can Get Crazy repeated the achievement.
“Dancin’ Cowboys” was inspired by the clubs and concert halls that the Bellamy Brothers were playing as they established their country bona fides. It has a stream of consciousness lyric that would quickly have it labeled as a list song if it were released today, and that would be fair and accurate.
The lyric is observant but lacks any insight. It describes but provides no meaning. What actually lingers about “Dancin’ Cowboys” is the production, which supports the Bellamy Brothers’ warm harmonies with some damn fine steel guitar. The instrumental bridge is fantastic and serves as the record’s highlight.
The duo followed up “Dancin’ Cowboys” with the lead single from their next album, Sons of the Sun. “Lovers Live Longer” went top five. That album’s second single became their fourth No. 1 country hit. We’ll cover it in 1981.
“Dancin’ Cowboys” gets a B.
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I still think the Bellamy Brothers stood just over here, while the rest of Nashville was sonically over there. Nothing overtly dramatic or genre bending, but they were softly idiosyncratic in their influences, sound and style. There was a sense of carefree summer joy to their music, a looseness. They sounded like they were having fun.
This song is example of that. It sounds great even if it doesn’t say much. It’s a song for dancing and having fun.