Frequently Secretly

Willie Nelson has a new song out. Normally, this wouldn’t be something that I’d take much notice of — while I don’t have anything against country music (and even have a little in my collection), it’s not my main forte.

This one, however…isn’t your typical country song.

Willie Nelson’s crooned cowboy songs before, from the signature “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” to “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys.”

But never like this: On “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other,” the Texas country icon sings about love among men on the range. Available exclusively at iTunes today, the song aims to show Mr. Nelson’s support for gays, particularly to conservative country-music fans.

“The song’s been in the closet for 20 years,” Mr. Nelson said in a prepared statement. It was written in 1981 by Lubbock-born singer-songwriter Ned Sublette.

…[Brokeback Mountain] may have provided the perfect opportunity to release this new song. But Mr. Nelson also has a personal connection to the tune.

Two years ago, David Anderson, Mr. Nelson’s friend and tour manager of three decades, told his boss he’s gay. Last March, while Mr. Nelson recorded a batch of previously unreleased songs for iTunes, he discovered the song in a stack of demos he had tossed into a drawer.

Singing “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other” was Mr. Nelson’s way of telling a longtime pal everything was OK, says Mr. Anderson.

The song’s currently only available through the iTunes Music Store. Lyrics are after the cut.

(via Boing Boing)

There’s many a strange impulse out on the plains of West Texas;
There’s many a young boy who feels things he can’t comprehend.
Well a small town don’t like it when somebody falls between sexes,
No, small town don’t like it when a cowboy has feelings for men.

Well I believe in my soul that inside every man there’s the feminine,
And inside every lady there’s a deep manly voice loud and clear.
Well, a 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.

Cowboys are frequently secretly fond of each other,
Say, what do you think all them saddles and boots was about?
And there’s many a cowboy who don’t understand
the way that he feels for his brother,
And inside every cowboy there’s a lady that’d love to slip out.

And there’s always somebody who says what the others just whisper,
And mostly that someone’s the first one to get shot down dead.
So when you talk to a cowboy don’t treat him like he was a sister,
You can’t fuck with the lady that’s sleepin’ in each cowboy’s head.

Cowboys are frequently secretly fond of each other,
What did you think all them saddles and boots was about?
And there’s many a cowboy who don’t understand
the way that he feels for his brother,
Inside every lady there’s a cowboy that wants to slip out.
And inside every cowboy there’s a lady that’d love to slip out.

The following lyrics (one verse and two versions of the chorus) aren’t included in Willie’s version, but are apparently in a version of this song that was recorded by the punk band Pansy Division.

Ten men for each woman was the rule way back when on the prairie,
And somehow those cowboys must have kept themselves warm late at night.
Cowboys are famous for getting riled up about fairies,
But I’ll tell you the reason a big strong man gets so uptight:

Cowboys are frequently secretly fond of each other,
That’s why they wear leather, and Levi’s and belts buckled tight.
There’s many a cowboy who don’t understand
the way that he feels towards his brother,
There’s many a cowboy who’s more like a lady at night.

Cowboys are frequently secretly fond of each other,
Even though they take speed and drive pickups and shoot their big guns.
There’s many a cowboy who don’t understand
the way that he feels for his brother;
There’s many a cowboy who keeps quiet about things he’s done.

“Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly (Fond of Each Other) (iTunes Originals Version)” by Nelson, Willie from the album Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly (Fond of Each Other) (2006, 3:33).