# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/42 "2019-09-10T20:44:22Z")
I’m listening to Kirsty MacColl’s excellent “Kite” album I only discovered the other day, and it has a country song with the fabulous title “[Don’t Come The Cowboy With Me, Sonny Jim!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVLAYFMowMo)”. ---
**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, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/43 "2019-09-10T21:11:17Z")
Well, I muffed another one Danny Kortchmar, not Don Henley, wrote _You Must Not Be Drinking Enough._ It’s still a good call, as Kortchmar isn’t a country guy, either. Here’s Henley. [You're Not Drinking Enough - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Een4gGPOABQ) Here’s Earl Thomas Conley on the same song. [You Must Not Be Drinking Enough - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh6ErXJoKgE) I like Henley’s better. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/44 "2019-09-10T22:28:01Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > The Kinks also had a few, e. g. [Muswell Hillbilly](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWcsvaHABsc). The entire ‘Muswell Hillbillies’ album is a fine country album. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/45 "2019-09-10T22:36:45Z")
I’d hardly call the Supersuckers a country band, but “Must’ve Been High” is an excellent country album! ---
**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, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/46 "2019-09-10T22:46:23Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > At that, Garth Brooks got [his seventh Number One hit on the Billboard country charts](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shameless_(Billy_Joel_song)) by listening to Billy Joel’s song “Shameless” and realizing, _hey, if you sing it with a twang, those lyrics and that tune are right in my wheelhouse…_ That’s the formula: turn down the band relative to the vocals, add an acoustic guitar, and above all, “country up” the accent. > [@garygnu](#): > > The Beatles’ “I’ve Just Seen a Face” is a mandolin or banjo away from being pure bluegrass. “Tomorrow Never Knows” is about as far from country as you can get. But the chord progression (I-bVII) fits in with bluegrass. We did a version that fooled everyone (we added a IV chord change, and changed the lyrics, “it is not dying” to “it ain’t dyin’”. ---
**Author:** ![journeyman\_southpaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5e9695/32.png) [@journeyman\_southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/journeyman_southpaw)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/47 "2019-09-10T23:16:43Z")
ZZ Top - [She’s A Heartbreaker](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPY2yit44Z0) Elvis Costello - [Stranger in the House](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSoDXX47QGE) Fountains of Wayne - [Hung Up On You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xf-_CXMqMk) ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/48 "2019-09-10T23:21:47Z")
These are a lot easier to find than you might think. In the 1960s, it was apparently required by law for every lounge lizard and crooner to put on cowboy gear and record an album of country standards. Characteristic example: Nancy Sinatra’s [Country My Way](https://www.amazon.com/Country-My-Way-Nancy-Sinatra/dp/B000003GYL). There are probably hundreds of these. ---
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/49 "2019-09-10T23:39:44Z")
> [@journeyman\_southpaw](#): > > ZZ Top - [She’s A Heartbreaker](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPY2yit44Z0) > Elvis Costello - [Stranger in the House](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSoDXX47QGE) > Fountains of Wayne - [Hung Up On You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xf-_CXMqMk) Seriously? All the songs mentioned in this thread, and I get ninja’d on “Hung up on You” by only 20 minutes? 🙂 Solid country tune. Goddamn, but Schlessinger and Collingwood can write some catchy songs. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2019, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/50 "2019-09-11T21:03:11Z")
Now: is [The Beast In Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f89kLBMsbM) a country song? Written by long serving British rocker **Dave Edmunds** , for his father in law. Johnny Cash. ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2019, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/51 "2019-09-11T21:21:49Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > Now: is [The Beast In Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f89kLBMsbM) a country song? > > Written by long serving British rocker **Dave Edmunds** , for his father in law. > > (redacted) - The Beast In Me \*was written by Nick Lowe (who was the son-in-law of the spoilered person). Both Lowe and Edmunds are long-serving British rockers and were in Rockpile – easy mistake. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2019, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/52 "2019-09-11T22:10:40Z")
Tommy Shaw from Styx put out a bluegrass album - The Great Divide. ---
**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 12, 2019, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/53 "2019-09-12T02:32:47Z")
Brian May wrote, “'39”, for _A Night at the Opera_. A nice country-ish tune. About space travel. ---
**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 12, 2019, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/54 "2019-09-12T03:11:24Z")
Jerry Garcia and David Grisman wrote blue-grassy country tunes. My favorite is ‘Sweet Sunny South’ ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2019, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/55 "2019-09-12T21:58:18Z")
> [@Gordon\_Urquhart](#): > > - > > The Beast In Me \*was written by Nick Lowe (who was the son-in-law of the spoilered person). Both Lowe and Edmunds are long-serving British rockers and were in Rockpile – easy mistake. Goddamit. Aaaaargh! I had to get two words (Nick Lowe) right and… …and of course you’re right, Gordon. I’ve let Nick Lowe down; I’ve let The Straight Dope Down; I’ve let myself down; and worst of all, I’ve let down Johnny Fucking Cash BTW I saw Rockpile back in the late seventies - Edmunds, Lowe, Bremner and all - and they were crap. _Sigh_ j ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/56 "2019-09-13T00:07:49Z")
\*\*Warren Zevon[/], normally a rocker through and through, decided to try his hand at a very country song. Here is the result, complete with twangy guitars and Dwight Yoakum on background vocals: [Heartache Spoken Here](https://youtu.be/wdwNkvcAoXg) It’s a great song. Also, I think there are a number of Eagles songs that could be considered country. Peaceful Easy Feeling, Tequila Sunrise, Desperado (almost the entire album) and others. Lots of country artists cover them, and Don Henley has done country songs with other artists. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/57 "2019-09-13T01:20:33Z")
The Minus Five album of the same name (an all-time favorite “dark” album) has one overtly country song, “Cigarettes, Coffee and Booze”: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/FALGeotmVDk/hqdefault.jpg "The Minus 5 - "Cigarettes Coffee And Booze"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FALGeotmVDk) - Your mama knew it, now I know it too Across the kitchen table, she barely looked at you The paperbacks were piled up, she read them all right through Saying all you really need is Cigarettes, coffee and booze Cigarettes, coffee and booze\* ---
**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 13, 2019, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/58 "2019-09-13T01:45:28Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > [Heartache Spoken Here](https://youtu.be/wdwNkvcAoXg) Great example. I’m slapping myself that I didn’t think of it. Here’s one: [Send Me the Heart](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2vjZu9_V6g) by Denny Laine of Wings ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2019, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/59 "2019-09-15T01:48:47Z")
[Thumbelina](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFBSIzEfUtE) from the fantastic “Learning To Crawl” album by the Pretenders. Though it’s arguably more of a rockabilly song than country, but we all know those are grey differences. ---
**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 15, 2019, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/60 "2019-09-15T02:38:44Z")
My 8-year-old son introduced me to a current big hit, “Old Town Road,” a country song (mostly) by a 20-year-old rap artist named Lil Nas X. He later did a version with Billy Ray Cyrus. Also…someone upthread was wondering about “Wild Horses.” It was definitely composed by Jagger and Richards — you see them recording it in early 1970 in the film _Gimme Shelter_. ---
**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 15, 2019, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955/61 "2019-09-15T02:47:35Z")
> **[Did Gram Parsons Write “Wild Horses”?](https://legendsrevealed.com/entertainment/2016/02/03/did-gram-parsons-write-wild-horses/)** > > Here is the latest in a series of examinations into urban legends about music and whether they are true or false. Click here to view an archive of the movie urban legends featured so far. MUSIC URB… (Though I see a Parsons fan has defaced the “Wild Horses” Wikipedia page…temporarily, I’m sure. Sad, because it distracts from the real, undisputed, wonderful influence Parsons did have on his friend Richards during that time period). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/country-songs-written-by-non-country-artists/839955.md?page=2)