Evermore. 3. Cowboy Like Me

Moving right along with the stand out songs of Evermore….

Cowboy Like Me.

I love the melody and how the song flows. I picture a party in a barn with lots of people talking and the 2 people/characters are mingling around and catching each other’s eyes every so often. (yes I know it takes place on a tennis court covered with a tent-like thing but there’s a barn right next to it, ok?:)

The form again here is different. 

I think of “You're a Cowboy like Me” as a refrain, and then the Chorus is “perched in the dark” etc.  

My favorite part is what I would call the pre-chorus. “I’ve got some tricks up my sleeves…takes one to know one”.

I love how she doesn’t rhyme those lines, and the line afterwards is the rhyme “You’re a cowboy like me” (rhymes “me” with “sleeves”).

My ear expected to hear sleeves rhyme with the line after it but she didn’t do that. 

Also notice how the phrasing of how she says those lines is way different and THAT is what makes it the pre-chorus. Because they’re the same chords as the verses. 

I also like then how she changes the sentiment to “you’re a bandit like me”, and changes the melody in that line as well. 

One thing that struck me is the fact that she uses “thing” twice in the first verse. “covered up with some tent-like thing” and then “ I thought this is gonna be one of those things”. (It might be considered 2 separate verses but then they’re the first lines of the first 2 verses).

I’ve taken songwriting workshops and retreats that would steer me away from doing things like that. But again, it’s Tay Tay and she can do whatever she wants. Just something to be conscious of. 

I’d love to sit with her and talk to her about form on both of these albums. How did she decide? They don’t seem to follow any rules. Really feels like she followed the songs on this one. 

Favorite line: With your boots beneath my bed, forever is the sweetest con.

What say you? Favorite line? Song? Let’s discuss

xo,
D