Country Music

Do YOU Care Billboard Booted Lil Nas X’s ‘Old Town Road’ from Hot Country Charts?

by
Lori O'Harver
March 30, 2019

Lil Nas X

Can’t Nobody Tell Me Nothin’

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Cowboys and cowgirls love to dance to hip hop. We know Country is cool when it’s hot and sweaty.

As much as we love King George, Hank Williams, the occasional dose of bluegrass and a lot of Zac Brown, we also love rapper Lil Nas X’s ‘Old Town Road’ that debuted on the Billboard Hot Country Charts at #19 just three weeks after it dropped and has gone viral on the social networks. But Nashville? Not too much!

shoutout to justin bieber, a boogie, ski mask, ally brooke, tyga, meghan linsey, wale, rico nasty, dennis rodman, joe budden, billy ray cyrus, and every other celebrity who helped me in some way with pushing this song. sorry if i forgot somebody. 🖤!!

— nope (@LilNasX) March 30, 2019

Inspired by gamer’s choice, ‘Red Dead Redemption’, the Lil Nas X hit lyrics have found a spot on rodeo cowboy’s playlists but Billboard says ‘Old Town Road’ can’t ‘ride no more’ on the Hot Country Chart and kicked it off.

Red Dead Redemption 2 Photo Credit: SavingCountryMusic.com

“When determining genres, a few factors are examined, but first and foremost is musical composition. While ‘Old Town Road’ incorporates references to country and cowboy imagery, it does not embrace enough elements of today’s country music to chart in its current version.” THAT’s what Billboard had to say.

Well? Did Kid Rock’s ‘Cowboy’? How about the 2002 Boys Don’t Cry favorite ‘I Wanna Be A Cowboy’? Are we even trusting Nashville to tell us what we like anymore?

We’re asking you. What do you think? Hot Country or NOT Country?

Lyrics: Lil Nas X’s ‘Old Town Road’

[Intro]
Yeah, I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road
I’m gonna ride ’til I can’t no more
I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road
I’m gonna ride ’til I can’t no more
Kio, Kio

[Verse 1]
I got the horses in the back
Horse tack is attached
Hat is matte black
Got the boots that’s black to match
Ridin’ on a horse, ha
You can whip your Porsche
I been in the valley
You ain’t been up off that porch, now

[Chorus]
Can’t nobody tell me nothin’
You can’t tell me nothin’
Can’t nobody tell me nothin’
You can’t tell me nothin’

[Verse 2]
Ridin’ on a tractor
Lean all in my bladder
Cheated on my baby
You can go and ask her
My life is a movie
Bull ridin’ and boobies
Cowboy hat from Gucci
Wrangler on my booty

[Chorus]
Can’t nobody tell me nothin’
You can’t tell me nothin’
Can’t nobody tell me nothin’
You can’t tell me nothin’

[Outro]
Yeah, I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road
I’m gonna ride ’til I can’t no more
I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road
I’m gonna ride ’til I can’t no more
I got the—

View this post on Instagram

ROLLING STONE 🎸!

A post shared by Lil Nas X (@lilnasx) on Mar 26, 2019 at 1:54pm PDT

‘billboard’ explained that the song doesn’t “embrace enough elements of today’s country music” https://t.co/rflLiga15G

— Genius (@Genius) March 26, 2019

Lori O'Harver

Lori O'Harver is a woman on a mission to tell the stories of the world without borders known as Bronc Riding Nation. From the vast grasslands the great bucking horses call home to the bright lights of Las Vegas, where good ones buck and the people called to ride them come to make their high flying dreams come true, she writes about the horses and people who feel the spirit of freedom and devote their lives to keeping the legends alive.