The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy" |
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| Promotional single by Chris Stapleton | |
| from the album Toy Story 4 | |
| Released | June 5, 2019 |
| Recorded | 2018 |
| Genre | Country |
| Length | 1:51 |
| Label | Walt Disney |
| Songwriter(s) | Randy Newman |
"The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy" is song written and composed by Randy Newman, and performed by Chris Stapleton, for the soundtrack of the Disney/Pixar feature film Toy Story 4. The song was released as a single on June 5, 2019, and was met with a positive reception from critics.
Background and composition
Randy Newman, known for his work as composer and songwriter on the Toy Story films, was confirmed to be returning for Toy Story 4. "The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy", the film's main single, written by Newman and performed by Chris Stapleton, was revealed and released on June 5, 2019. The song is performed through the perspective of Sheriff Woody, the film's main character, because, according to Newman, "[Woody] feels like he was a lonesome cowboy until someone comes along and changes his world." Newman was particularly pleased by the fact that Stapleton performs the song, while Stapleton felt that "[i]t's a tremendous honor to get to sing a Randy Newman song in what is without question one of the most iconic animated franchises in history.
Music video
On June 5, 2019, a lyric video of the song was released. On June 26, 2019, a YouTube channel called FANIMATOR released another music video of the song. In this version, FANIMATOR played scenes from the first three Toy Story films and arranged them to fit the song. The scenes were picked to represent the themes of loneliness and friendship.
Other versions
Randy Newman performed a version for the soundtrack of Toy Story 4.
