by Jim Arndt
From The Official Gene Autry Website www.autry.com. © Autry Qualified Interest Trust.
Gene Autry’s Saturday matinee saddle pals wanted to be just like their hero. Gene responded with the Cowboy Code, sometimes known as the Cowboy Commandments. They are as relevant today as they were then.
1. The Cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man, or take unfair advantage.
2. He must never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him.
3. He must always tell the truth.
4. He must be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals.
5. He must not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas.
6. He must help people in distress.
7. He must be a good worker.
8. He must keep himself clean in thought, speech, action, and personal habits.
9. He must respect women, parents, and his nation’s laws.
10. The Cowboy is a patriot.
Gene Autry and Champion, c. 1937
© Autry Qualified Interest Trust and The Autry Foundation
Roy Rogers’ Riders Club Rules
Used by permission of The Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum, Branson, MO.
1. Be neat and clean.
2. Be courteous and polite.
3. Always obey your parents.
4. Protect the weak and help them.
5. Be brave but never take chances.
6. Study hard and learn all you can.
7. Be kind to animals and take care of them.
8. Eat all your food and never waste any.
9. Love God and go to Sunday school regularly.
10. Always respect our flag and our country.
Photo from Singing Cowboys by Douglas Green.
A Cowboy’s Prayer
excerpt; originally published in Sand and Saddle Leather, 1915
by Badger Clark
I thank You, Lord, that I am placed so well,
That You have made my freedom so complete;
That I’m no slave of whistle, clock or bell,
Nor weak-eyed prisoner of wall and street.
Just let me live my life as I’ve begun
And give me work that’s open to the sky;
Make me a pardner of the wind and sun,
And I won’t ask a life that’s soft or high.
Let me be easy on the man that’s down;
Let me be square and generous with all.
I’m careless sometimes, Lord, when I’m in town,
But never let ’em say I’m mean or small!
Make me as big and open as the plains,
As honest as the hawse between my knees,
Clean as the wind that blows behind the rains,
Free as the hawk that circles down the breeze!
Forgive me, Lord, if sometimes I forget.
You know about the reasons that are hid.
You understand the things that gall and fret;
You know me better than my mother did.
Just keep an eye on all that’s done and said
And right me, sometimes, when I turn aside,
And guide me on the long, dim, trail ahead
That stretches upward toward the Great Divide.
Top 20 Cowboy Movies
(According to Most-Wanted-Western-Movies.com)
High Noon (1952)
starring Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly and Lloyd Bridges
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)
starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach
Shane (1953)
starring Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur and Van Heflin
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1946)
starring Humphrey Bogart and Walter Huston
The Magnificent Seven (1960)
starring Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen and Charles Bronson
The Wild Bunch (1969)
starring William Holden and Ernest Borgnine
Stagecoach (1939)
starring John Wayne, Claire Trevor and John Carradine
The Searchers (1956)
starring John Wayne and Jeffrey Hunter
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
starring Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford
Unforgiven (1992)
starring Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman
Rio Grande (1950)
starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
starring John Wayne, James Stewart and Vera Miles
Virginia City (1940)
starring Errol Flynn, Randolph Scott and Miriam Hopkins
The Shootist (1976)
starring John Wayne, Lauren Bacall and James Stewart
Dances with Wolves (1990)
starring Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell and Graham Greene
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
starring Clint Eastwood and Sondra Locke
A Man Called Horse (1970)
starring Richard Harris and Judith Anderson
Little Big Man (1970)
starring Dustin Hoffman, Faye Dunaway and Chief Dan George
High Plains Drifter (1973)
starring Clint Eastwood and Verna Bloom
Cowboy Poetry
from Riding on a Range by Lawson Drinkard
Cowboys spend a lot of time in the outdoors. Their kitchen is the campfire, their bedroom is the meadow by a stream and their alarm clock is the sun sneaking up over the hills to the east. There is something about this way of life that causes folks to want to express themselves in verse and rhyme that we call “cowboy poetry.”
Most of the time, cowboys were a long way from any form of entertainment, so they made up verses and recited them to one another as a means of passing the time in the evenings. These poems tell the stories of a cowboy’s life. They talk about the weather, the land, the cattle and the horses that make up the center of their lives. Sometimes they talk about love or loneliness. Often they are funny, and occasionally they are sad. Always they speak of cowboy traditions and the cowboy way of life.
There are many, many cowboy poets. A few, like Baxter Black, Wally McRae and Waddle Mitchell, have become famous for their work. You can find collections of cowboy poetry in the library. One that is especially nice is Cowboy Poetry: A Gathering.
Official Cowboy Poem by Wallace McRae, from Cowboy Curmudgeon and Other Poems
A Salute to the Cowboy Artists
Cowboys learned how to ride from their daddies
On some wore-out gentle ranch hoss.
Cowboys learned how to cry from their mamas,
Or a rough-hewn old rawhide range boss.
The Code of the West came from the movies.
John Wayne taught the saunterin’ walk.
“Smile, when you call me that, stranger.”
Owen Wister taught cowboys how to talk.
Kindly whores and country school teachers
Gave lessons on love and on sex.
Cow punchers got safety instructions
From numerous horse and cow wrecks.
But who taught us “Laugh Kills Lonesome”?
Or be ready when “Horses Talk War . . .”?
It wasn’t Zane Grey (though we read him);
And it sure wasn’t Louis L’Amour.
But we learned to appreciate sunsets
And the beauty of unspoiled range.
And maybe we learned—call it tolerance—
For culture that at first seemed strange.
We learned hist’ry from calendar pictures.
Yes, we learned how to act and to dress,
For the values, the gear and the costumes
Seeped from canvas to subconsciousness.
Now, ev’ry cowboy that loves this old West
Has a trace of oil paint in his veins.
When the last cowboy’s bones are paved over
> Your record’ll be all that remains.
In bronze and painted on canvas,
So that “civilization” can say,
“This was the life of the cowboy.
He sure gave her hell in his day.”
So here’s thanks from your friends, Cowboy Artists,
We used your talents as a matter of course
As you captured forever, an era
Of the West and a man and a horse.
Top Western Novels
From westernsfortoday.blogspot.com, and in no particular order.
Riders of the Purple Sage
by Zane Grey, 1912
The Daybreakers (First published of the “Sackett” series of books)
by Louis L’Amour, 1960
Shane
by Jack Schaefer, 1949
The Day the Cowboys Quit
by Elmer Kelton, 1971
True Grit
by Charles Portis, 1968
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
by Ron Hansen, 1983
Blood Meridian
by Cormack McCarthy, 1985
Deadwood
by Pete Dexter, 1986
Lonesome Dove
by Larry McMurtry, 1986
Little Big Man
by Thomas Berger, 1964
The Kid
by John Seelye, 1972
The Big Sky
by A.B. Guthrie, Jr., 1947
Welcome to Hard Times
by E. L. Doctorow, 1960
Sliphammer
by Brian Garfield, 1979
Wild Times
by Brian Garfield, 1978
Did Ya’ Knows?
From the Urban Dictionary, www.urbandictionary.com
Cowboy Stretch— catching a quick/short nap during the day. It usually involves you sleeping during your work hours, and wearing your work clothes including your shoes. “I’m just going to catch a cowboy stretch underneath my desk so that I can get some energy for the rest of the day.”
Cowboy Walk— A slang term named after the way in which two gunslingers stepped toward each other in old Western movies just as they were about to duel with pistols. “Bob stepped out of the saloon and cowboy-walked toward Steve, the dorkiest gun in the West.”
Cowboy Up— It means when things are getting tough you have to get back up, dust yourself off and keep trying. “Let’s all cowboy up and get this job finished!”
Cowboy Wave
From Riding on a Range by Lawson Drinkard
Step One: Get a Truck
After his horse, the favorite mode of transportation for any cowboy is a pickup truck. When they are behind the steering wheel, cowboys share one habit that shows a friendly community spirit. It’s the “cowboy wave.”
Step Two: Create a Style
Cowboys always wave to folks in passing vehicles—whether they know them or not. It’s not a big, flashy, full-handed “howdy-do?” kind of wave, but instead a friendly, low-key recognition of a passing friend or stranger. The cowboy wave is usually done by the driver, but you can practice it from the passenger side of your car.
The wave is one-handed and is done without taking the hand off the steering wheel. Every cowboy has his own style and uses his same wave all of the time. Some lift just an index finger, some the first two fingers, some raise all four fingers and some four fingers and the thumb. (Lifting your second and third fingers without lifting your thumb or pinky finger is really hard—try it!)
Step Three: Get ’er Done
Now, you might think the cowboy wave is no big deal, but if you stop to consider it for a moment it makes good sense. This simple little wave says to another person, “Hello—noticed you today.” It’s a small act of kindness that doesn’t cost a thing, and the world can use more gestures like that.
Lesson 3: Denim & Duds
Jeans are the favorite item of clothing across all cultures and age groups. Who would we be without our favorite jeans? They help define and identify us. We’re ever in search of the perfect fit, and once we’ve found it, we’re loyal to the end!
Levi Strauss was born in Germany and emigrated to New York in the late 1840s. He arrived in San Francisco in 1853 to open a west coast branch of his brother’s wholesale dry goods business. He imported clothing and household goods from New York and sold them to the small stores of the West. One of Levi’s many customers was Jacob Davis, a tailor from Reno, Nevada, who was commissioned to make a pair of pants for a client’s husband that “wouldn’t fall apart.” Jacob hit upon the idea of putting metal rivets at points of strain, like pocket corners, base of the fly, etc. These riveted pants became popular so Jacob looked for a partner, and, in 1873, he chose Strauss. Together they got a patent and started producing the denim trousers that became popular with generations of laborers, miners, loggers, farmers and cowboys. Today Levi Strauss considers May 20, 1873, as the “birthday” of blue jeans, because although denim pants had been around as work wear for many years, it was the act of placing rivets in these pants that created what we now call jeans.
Photo courtesy of Lynn Downey, Levi Strauss & Co. Historian.
Did Ya’ Knows?
Levi Strauss & Co., makers of Levi’s® jeans, has declared the first of May as 5-01 Day, in honor Levi Strauss, who together with Jacob Davis produced the most enduring and popular piece of clothing in history—the original 501® jean.
From turn-of-the-century cowboy’s jeans marked with actual “spur bites” to a denim tuxedo worn in the 1950s by Bing Crosby to modern Levis® worn by rock stars and presidents, the Levi Strauss & Co. Archives reflects how Levi’s® jeans have been an integral part of changing American culture, including music, politics and fashion.
Photo courtesy of Lynn Downey, Levi Strauss & Co. Historian.
From the Sears & Roebuck and Montgomery Ward catalogs in the early years, jeans have moved uptown. Denim jeans have evolved from the practical and durable to art and fashion. The original big three—Levi’s®, Lee® and Wrangler®—faced competition beginning in the 1970s from the designer jeans of Calvin Klein, Gloria Vanderbilt, Ralph Lauren, Versace and Yves Saint Laurent, among others. Big-name designers who wanted their jeans to become status symbols put their signature labels on the outside of the jeans.
From dungarees to designer jeans, the modern cowboy and cowgirl make a splash when they go out for a Saturday-night fandango, a country line dance or a cattleman’s ball. Here is their advice: a fancy shirt, bright colors and rhinestones jazz up the outfit. Put on your best hat, polish your buckle, add a jacquard scarf or bolo tie, a fabulous embroidered western jacket and your best dancing boots. But leave the spurs at home unless you really know what you’re doing.
Now there are hundreds of styles and cuts, including straight and narrow, boot cut, and bell bottoms.
Millions of pairs of jeans are produced annually. In the past thirty years, manufacturers have made a hit with jeans that are stonewashed, ripped or frayed, looks that consumers had previously worked hard to achieve on their own jeans, because a favorite pair of well-washed, well-worn, well-loved jeans evokes the unique personality of its wearer. Designers offer jeans that are painted, beaded, patched, stitched and rhinestoned—all the bling you could ever want for your buttocks (back side) and legs!
Roy Rogers.
Cowpoke
Lawman
Lesson 4: The Hat
Since Philadelphia-born John B. Stetson moved west and “invented” the first cowboy hat, known as “The Boss of the Plains,” in 1865, this style of hat has protected the heads of thousands of cowboys, shading his eyes from the sun’s glare and protecting his face and neck from burning while sitting in the saddle sunup to sundown. He could also use it to fan a campfire or as a bucket to water his horse—practical uses for those ten-gallon hats of Hollywood fame!
In a cowboy hat, you become a cowboy—walking a little taller and striding with confidence as others acknowledge the Western aura about you. They might greet you as “Tex�
� or, more generically, “Hey, Cowboy!” You nod in response.
White Hats
Black Hats
Beaver or rabbit fur has been the most popular material for cowboy hats, and it can be dyed in a multitude of colors. Straw is a more practical choice for the heat of summer.
The cowboy adorns his hat with a hatband of rope, braided or tooled leather or hitched horsehair. Silver conchas, turquoise and feathers add a personal touch. Urban cowboys and cowgirls favor beadwork, horsehair, ribboned edges and bling for a flashier look.
Colorful Hats
Through the generations, the cowboy hat has metaphorically become the signature for each individual cowboy and cowgirl. Whether it be LBJ’s “Open Road” Stetson, the classic “Cattleman” of Marlboro fame, the “Gus” hat from Lonesome Dove, or Toby Keith’s straw redneck cowboy hat, each is a signature style, as individual as one’s handwritten signature.
Roy Rogers with Riders of the Purple Sage. Photo from Singing Cowboys by Douglas Green.
