Rodeo (song)
Encyclopedia
"Rodeo" is the title of a song written by Larry Bastian and recorded by Garth Brooks
from his album Ropin' the Wind
. It was released as the first single from the 1991 album. It peaked at number three on the U.S. country chart but reached number-one on the Canadian country chart.
"If one looks down the list of music's greatest writers of all time, I couldn't imagine the list being complete without the name of Larry Bastian. The song 'Rodeo' was originally titled 'Miss Rodeo.' It was a female song, where the artist sang about how she could not compete with the sport of rodeo. I tried to get every female I now in the industry to cut this song. When the last told me she just didn't hear it, I began to wonder if that meant i was supposed to something with it. This song was recorded in 1981 as a demo, and for ten years it sat silent. We got a hold of it, and the band's version of it just stunned me. This song has always been a favorite live, and I hope as long as I get to play live, this will always be on the list."
On the 1995 television special, "The Garth Brooks Story", Garth said about the song:
"I went all over this town trying to get it cut. The song was called Miss Rodeo, and it was written for a woman to sing, and no one would sing it. I crawled on my knees to Trisha Yearwood
, I said 'please you got to hear this song.' And she goes, 'Garth I'm sure it's perfect, I don't understand the song because I'm not from that part of the country.' She's from Georgia."
Trisha convinced Garth that he was better fit to sing the song than she was, so he did.
in Tulsa. His lover however would "give half of Texas
just to change the way he feels. / It's The ropes and the reins and the joy and the pain and they call the thing a rodeo."
Garth Brooks
Troyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
from his album Ropin' the Wind
Ropin' the Wind
Ropin' the Wind is the third studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on September 10, 1991 and was his first studio album to debut at #1 the Billboard 200 chart and the Top Country Albums chart...
. It was released as the first single from the 1991 album. It peaked at number three on the U.S. country chart but reached number-one on the Canadian country chart.
Background and writing
Garth provided the following background information on the song in the CD booklet liner notes from The Hits:"If one looks down the list of music's greatest writers of all time, I couldn't imagine the list being complete without the name of Larry Bastian. The song 'Rodeo' was originally titled 'Miss Rodeo.' It was a female song, where the artist sang about how she could not compete with the sport of rodeo. I tried to get every female I now in the industry to cut this song. When the last told me she just didn't hear it, I began to wonder if that meant i was supposed to something with it. This song was recorded in 1981 as a demo, and for ten years it sat silent. We got a hold of it, and the band's version of it just stunned me. This song has always been a favorite live, and I hope as long as I get to play live, this will always be on the list."
On the 1995 television special, "The Garth Brooks Story", Garth said about the song:
"I went all over this town trying to get it cut. The song was called Miss Rodeo, and it was written for a woman to sing, and no one would sing it. I crawled on my knees to Trisha Yearwood
Trisha Yearwood
Patricia Lynn Yearwood, professionally known as Trisha Yearwood , is an American country music artist. She is best known for her ballads about vulnerable young women from a female perspective that have been described by some music critics as "strong" and "confident."Trisha Yearwood signed with MCA...
, I said 'please you got to hear this song.' And she goes, 'Garth I'm sure it's perfect, I don't understand the song because I'm not from that part of the country.' She's from Georgia."
Trisha convinced Garth that he was better fit to sing the song than she was, so he did.
Content
The song depicts a man who has the uncontrollable urge to be in the rodeoRodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
in Tulsa. His lover however would "give half of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
just to change the way he feels. / It's The ropes and the reins and the joy and the pain and they call the thing a rodeo."
Chart positions
| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 3 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |