# Country songs written by non-country artists **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 10, 2019, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955 "2019-09-10T00:20:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/1 "2019-09-10T00:20:17Z")
For a long time, I’ve been making a list of bona-fide country songs written by musicians who don’t usually do that sort of thing. Recently, a hip-hop guy created quite a stir among purists who insist _Old Town Road_ is not a Real Country Song. I don’t have an opinion about that one, but here’s a few songs I’ll defend as authentic shoulda-been-country-hits. _You Ain’t Drinkin’ Enough_ by Don Henley _Changing Partners_ by Elvis Costello _Dear Doctor_ by the Rolling Stones _Joy_ by Harry Nilsson Do you have any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/2 "2019-09-10T00:41:41Z")
Elvis C. and the Stones both had a few of these. Off the top of my head, Don’t Pass Me By by the Beatles… ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/3 "2019-09-10T00:45:35Z")
_Harder Than Your Husband_ by **Frank Zappa**. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/4 "2019-09-10T02:15:36Z")
“Ben Crawley Steel Company,” by Roy Wood from The Move, sung by Bev Bevan who sounds so much like Johnny Cash on this track, it’s scary. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/5 "2019-09-10T02:49:38Z")
“Don’t Fence Me In” is a classic country song written by, believe it or not, Cole Porter. “A Song for All Seasons” by the Jefferson Airplane ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/6 "2019-09-10T02:49:53Z")
Ween has an entire album of country music: [12 Golden Country Greats - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_Golden_Country_Greats) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/7 "2019-09-10T03:57:00Z")
Don Mcleans “Bronco Bills lament” is very country. He has a few that slide into the genre. Of, course Neil Young wrote a few country-esque songs that were covered by country artists. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/8 "2019-09-10T04:06:49Z")
Sting’s _I Hung my Head_ ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/9 "2019-09-10T04:08:29Z")
> [@jaycat](#): > > Elvis C. and the Stones both had a few of these. Actually, the Stones have at least one country song on many of their albums. _Country Honk_, _Wild Horses_, _Far Away Eyes_, _Sweet Virginia_, _Dead Flowers_… ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/10 "2019-09-10T06:02:17Z")
“She’s An American Girl”, performed by Trisha Yearwood, written by novelist Alice Randall, might be what you’re looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/11 "2019-09-10T06:07:04Z")
I don’t consider Kid Rock or Sheryl Crow to be country artists, but they did a very twangy duet a few years back. I think both Bon Jovi and Steven Tyler have tried their hand at cracking the country charts. And Shel Silverstein (“A Boy Named Sue”) and Michael O’Donoghue (“Single Bars and Single Women”) have both written a country hit or two. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/12 "2019-09-10T07:52:17Z")
“Don’t Go Back to Rockville,” R.E.M. “Tangerine,” Led Zeppelin ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/13 "2019-09-10T08:08:46Z")
“[You and I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAtwNK-9eIY)” by Lady Gaga & Brian May is one hell of a country anthem. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/14 "2019-09-10T08:16:55Z")
Elton John tried country on the _Tumbleweed Connection_ album. The album was successful, but singles were not (no singles were released in the US, for example, though one was in New Zealand). However, the track “Amoreena” was featured in the movie _Dog Day Afternoon_, so there is that. As one who likes both country and Elton John, I’d say that Elton made a good effort, but just didn’t hit the mark. Thankfully, he learned, and went a different way subsequently. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/15 "2019-09-10T08:49:13Z")
Beck had made two albums, _Sea Change_ and _Morning Phase_, that are quite country flavored. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/16 "2019-09-10T09:00:34Z")
The Beatles’ “I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party”. Some country artist covered it back in the 1980s. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/18 "2019-09-10T09:10:50Z")
A couple that spring to mind. “[Cowboy Dreams](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWjL5tnk76c)” By Prefab Sprout (who have always had something of a country hint to my mind) and… “[Labelled with Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3R7Op1oufA)” by Squeeze which is nothing less than genius IMHP ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/19 "2019-09-10T09:13:30Z")
“Crumbling Land” by Pink Floyd for the Zabriskie Point soundtrack. > **[Crumbling Land](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crumbling_Land)** > > "Crumbling Land" is a song by Pink Floyd from the soundtrack album of the film Zabriskie Point. > It is an up-tempo, country-styled song. David Gilmour and Rick Wright provided the vocals. In the booklet of Zabriskie Point soundtrack's reissue, there is a note about what David Gilmour said about the song in an interview; he described the song as "a kind of country & western number which he \[film director Antonioni\] could have gotten done better by any number of American bands. But he chose us — ve... > [@David Gilmour](#): > > …a kind of country & western number which he [film director Antonioni] could have gotten done better by any number of American bands. But he chose us — very strange. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-d1Jp_uCFbU/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGGUgZShlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLCfBqk9MaCdiNQh8VlkwHfRE1jukg "Pink Floyd - Crumbling Land (Zabriskie Point Soundtrack)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d1Jp_uCFbU) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/20 "2019-09-10T12:08:27Z")
> [@jaycat](#): > > Don’t Pass Me By by the Beatles… Ringo later recorded a whole country album, _Beaucoups of Blues_, but I don’t think he wrote any of the tracks. A couple that spring to my mind: Meat Puppets: [That’s How It Goes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rppASJRIOQA) Gin Blossoms: [Cheatin’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3XabDwgMzU) ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/21 "2019-09-10T12:20:06Z")
Radio Sweetheart was the EC tune that immediately came to my mind. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955.md?page=2)