The Cowboy in Me
"The Cowboy in Me" is a song written by Jeffrey Steele, Al Anderson and Craig Wiseman, and performed by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in November 2001 as the third single from McGraw's "Set This Circus Down" album. The song reached Number One on the "Billboard" Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts. It reached Number One one week after McGraw's duet with Jo Dee Messina, "Bring On the Rain". Content. In this song, Tim McGraw is acknowledging the destructive and sometimes selfish side of his personality, which  he identifies as "the cowboy in [him]." Critical reception. Kevin John Coyne of "Country Universe" gave the song a B grade, saying that the song "might be an amoebic form of the country lifestyle anthems that have flooded the genre in the years since it was released." He goes on to say that it is "certainly subtler and more refined than what’s come out since, and McGraw’s hit doesn’t include the head-pounding loudness that sinks so many other 'country' anthems." Music video. The music video was directed by Sherman Halsey and was released in early 2002 . Chart performance. "The Cowboy in Me" debuted at number 48 on the U.S. "Billboard" Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the chart week of December 1, 2001.