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The album’s most self-aware moment. He loves the west — the sky, the mesa, the wild horses — but he’s still the guy who checks the reviews before he books the night and whose most rugged act today was making his own pour-over. He’s more North Face than Levi’s, more sunset than campfire smoke. He might be allergic to horses. His browser history is still “best trail near me” and “how to build a fire.” But he’s out here and he means it, and he’s done apologizing for the joke. Heartland rock in the spirit of Tom Petty — warm, wry, and windows down.
Lyrics
[Intro] [Verse 1] I didn't come out here to play a part or learn somebody's lines I just needed enough sky to leave the old me behind Somewhere past the highway and the last familiar sign I started feeling something I could only call mine I love the way the mesa turns to gold before the dark And how the silence out here sounds like breathing after holding it too hard But I'm still the guy who checks the reviews before he books the night And the most rugged thing I've done today is make my own pour-over right [Pre-Chorus] I'm out here living like I've done this all my life But my browser history's still "best trail near me" and "how to build a fire" [Chorus] I'm not quite a cowboy, not quite the real thing I don't rope or ride, but man, I love the wide open everything I'm more North Face than Levi's, more sunset than campfire smoke But I'm out here and I mean it Even if I'm still a little bit of a joke Not quite a cowboy But I'm closer than I was before [Verse 2] I think I might be allergic to horses, but I love that they run free Something beautiful about them — maybe best from about ten feet from me I can tell you where I'm going, not from some compass in my chest But because my GPS said turn left and I mostly acquiesced I'd probably rather drink the bottled water than whatever's in your well And I don't just watch the sunrise — I can tell you my rising sign as well I've read three books on desert ecology and bookmarked four more I'm the only guy in Moab with a library card from a nationwide store [Pre-Chorus] I'm not faking it, I'm just doing it my way Part mountain man, part next-day delivery same-day [Chorus] I'm not quite a cowboy, not quite the real thing I don't rope or ride, but man, I love the wide open everything I'm more North Face than Levi's, more sunset than campfire smoke But I'm out here and I mean it Even if I'm still a little bit of a joke Not quite a cowboy But I'm closer than I was before [Verse 3] The locals see me coming and they smile like they've seen my kind City boy who read a book and thought the desert blew his mind And yeah, they're mostly right — but here's the thing they get wrong too I didn't come out here to play pretend, I came out here to just be true I shed the house, the car, the wife, the version I performed But I didn't trade one costume for another uniform I'm just a man who found the sky and didn't want to leave Even if he still needs SPF and checks the pollen count to breathe [Bridge] See, the west doesn't ask you to be someone you're not It just gives you enough space to figure out what you've got I've got a truck I barely know how to park A tent I set up wrong the first three times in the dark A heart that races for the wild things even if they make me sneeze And a soul that needed room The desert gave me all of that and more I'm not the cowboy in the movie I'm the guy who loves the view And that's enough — that's more than enough That's finally, actually true [Chorus — Final] I'm not quite a cowboy, not quite the real thing I don't rope or ride, but man, I love the wide open everything I'm more North Face than Levi's, more sunset than campfire smoke But I'm out here and I mean it And I'm done apologizing for the joke Not quite a cowboy But I'm closer than I was before Yeah, I'm not quite a cowboy But I don't think that matters anymore [Outro]