"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 their debut single, as well as their lead-off 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.
| "Wild West Show" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Big & Rich | ||||
| from the album Horse of a Different Color | ||||
| B-side | "Saved" | |||
| Released | December 15, 2003 | |||
| Recorded | 2003 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 4:20 (album version) 3:59 (radio edit) | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. Nashville | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
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| Big & Rich singles chronology | ||||
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Content
editThe 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
editChuck 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
editFrom Horse of a Different Color liner notes.[4]
- Big Kenny - vocals
- Dennis Burnside - keyboards
- Mike Johnson - steel guitar
- Wayne Killius - drums, shaker, peanut can
- Duncan Mullins - bass guitar
- John Rich - acoustic guitar, vocals
- Adam Shoenfeld - electric guitar
- Nicole Summers - flute
Chart positions
edit| Chart (2003–2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[5] | 85 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[6] | 21 |
References
edit- ^ John Rich; Big Kenny; Allen Rucker (2007). All Access: Big & Rich. Nashville: Center Street Press. pp. 65–66. ISBN 978-1-59995-717-3.
- ^ Eddy, Chuck (May 25, 2004). "Nashville Catches Up". The Village Voice. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
- ^ Price, Deborah Evans (January 24, 2004). "Reviews: Country". Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 4. p. 32.
- ^ 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) - ^ "Big & Rich Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
- ^ "Big & Rich Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2011.