Song meaning of Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys by Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson

Ah, a classic cautionary tale for all the mamas out there. This song tells you straight up to not let your precious babies grow up to be cowboys. Why? Well, cowboys are a tough breed to handle. Not only are they hard to love and hold, but they are also more likely to serenade you with a song than with diamonds or gold. They love their lonestar belt buckles and faded levis so much that each night begins a new day for them. And if you don't get them or they don't die young, they'll probably just ride away into the sunset like the cliché they are.

Cowboys also have some peculiar preferences. They love smoky old pool rooms just as much as they love clear mountain mornings. They have a soft spot for warm puppies, children, and girls of the night, AKA prostitutes. People who don't know them won't like them, and people who do know them, still won't know how to take them. They ain't wrong, they're just different, and their pride won't let them do things to make you think they're right.

So, mamas, you've been warned. Don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys. Instead, let them be doctors or lawyers or anything else that won't make them always be alone and never stay home, even with someone they love.