Wild West Show (song)

"Wild West Show"
Single by Big & Rich
from the album Horse of a Different Color
B-side"Saved"
ReleasedDecember 15, 2003
Recorded2003
GenreCountry
Length4:20 (album version)
3:59 (radio edit)
LabelWarner Bros. Nashville
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Big & Rich singles chronology
"Wild West Show"
(2003) 		"Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)"
(2004)

"Wild West Show" is a debut song co-written and recorded by American country music duo Big & Rich. It was released in December 2003 as the first single from their debut album Horse of a Different Color. It reached No. 21 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts. The song was written by Big Kenny, John Rich and Blair Daly.

Content

The song uses 19th-century Western imagery to describe an argument between a man and a woman ("It was a big showdown / Oh yeah, we stood our ground / Shot out the lights, it got a little crazy").[1] The song also talks about forgiveness and a relationship.

Critical reception

Chuck Eddy of The Village Voice wrote that the song "mixes a placid keyboard intro, spacious spaghetti-western guitars, and Andes flute solos into a tepee-and-peace-pipe lyric that repeatedly chants 'hey yaaaa!'"[2] Deborah Evans Price of Billboard magazine also gave it a positive review, saying that it has a "very distinct vibe", also calling it "hauntingly beautiful" and saying that it had "quirky Western imagery".[3]

Personnel

From Horse of a Different Color liner notes.[4]

Chart positions

Chart (2003–2004) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[5] 85
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[6] 21

References

  1. ^ John Rich; Big Kenny; Allen Rucker (2007). All Access: Big & Rich. Nashville: Center Street Press. pp. 65–66. ISBN 978-1-59995-717-3.
  2. ^ Eddy, Chuck (May 25, 2004). "Nashville Catches Up". The Village Voice. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
  3. ^ Price, Deborah Evans (January 24, 2004). "Reviews: Country". Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 4. p. 32.
  4. ^ Horse of a Different Color (CD). Big & Rich. Warner Bros. Records. 2004. 48520.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ^ "Big & Rich Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  6. ^ "Big & Rich Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2011.