"Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack)" Soundtrack Description

Overview

What happens when a singular singer is tasked with scoring an entire Gus Van Sant feature? This album answers by letting k.d. lang carry both songs and cues, with co-writer/producer Ben Mink shaping the sound into an eccentric road-western palette. Released by Sire Records on November 2, 1993, the record functions as a self-contained k.d. lang set while mirroring the film’s shifts from New York chic to ranch revolt. (Trusted sources: Wikipedia; Apple Music.)

Two singles gave it public traction: the deep-house-leaning “Just Keep Me Moving” and the club-ready “Lifted by Love,” the latter later topping Billboard’s Dance Club Songs. The full program mixes vocal cuts (“Hush Sweet Lover”) with short score cues (“Kundalini Yoga Waltz,” “Ride of Bonanza Jellybean”). The film’s soundtrack beyond the album also includes a few diegetic standards (e.g., “Happy Trails”), but the commercial release is entirely k.d. lang. (Trusted sources: Billboard; IMDb.)

Questions & Answers

Is there an official soundtrack album?

Yes. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack) was released November 2, 1993 on Sire Records; runtime ≈40 minutes.

Who composed and performed the music?

k.d. lang composed and performed the music with Ben Mink (co-writer/producer). The album is entirely performed by k.d. lang.

What were the singles?

“Just Keep Me Moving” (late 1993) and “Lifted by Love” (1994). The latter reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs.

How did the album chart?

U.S. Billboard 200 peak: No. 82; New Zealand: No. 4; Australia: No. 10.

Is there a separate score album?

No separate score release; the album itself contains both songs and score cues.

Are there songs used in the film but not on the k.d. lang album?

Yes, a few diegetic pieces appear in-film (e.g., “Happy Trails”), but the commercial album features only k.d. lang recordings.

Has it been reissued?

Yes. Digital reissues appeared in 2010; new colored-vinyl editions were announced for 2025 by multiple retailers.

Notes & Trivia

• Executive music producer credit on the film: Toby Emmerich.
• “Lifted by Love” became k.d. lang’s first U.S. Dance Club Songs No. 1; “Just Keep Me Moving” hit No. 6 on the same chart and No. 59 in the UK.
• The album entered the Billboard 200 at No. 82; it charted higher overseas (NZ No. 4; AU No. 10).
• “Hush Sweet Lover” and “Just Keep Me Moving” videos resurface on lang’s 2010 retrospective Recollection.
• Retailers list a 2025 translucent “cowgirl blue” vinyl — the soundtrack’s first wide vinyl pressing.

Genres & Themes

House/club textures (“Just Keep Me Moving,” “Lifted by Love”) = movement, agency, the hitchhiker’s momentum.

Country waltz & Western inflections (“Kundalini Yoga Waltz,” “Cowgirl Pride”) = the Rubber Rose ranch’s rituals and bonds.

Pop ballad (“Hush Sweet Lover”) = intimacy beats that complicate Sissy’s free-range ethos.

Quirky instrumentals (“Ride of Bonanza Jellybean,” “Don’t Be a Lemming Polka”) = comic rebellion and counterculture humor. Vanity Fair previewed this eclectic brief (polka, jazz-fusion, country waltz, Sly-style boogie) during production — a useful checksum of intent.

Tracks & Scenes

“Just Keep Me Moving” — k.d. lang
Where it plays: featured as an on-screen energy cue in early travel/transition passages (editorial montage use varies by cut). Non-diegetic.
Why it matters: establishes the story’s locomotion; also launched the album’s single campaign.

“Lifted by Love” — k.d. lang
Where it plays: used as an uplift motif around turning-point sequences and later in promotional cuts; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: the soundtrack’s club crossover — eventually a U.S. Dance Club No. 1.

“Hush Sweet Lover” — k.d. lang
Where it plays: intimate interludes tied to Sissy’s relationships; non-diegetic song placement underscoring reflective beats.
Why it matters: the record’s torch moment; the official video circulated heavily in 1993–94.

“Kundalini Yoga Waltz” — k.d. lang
Where it plays: yoga-coded, ritual-adjacent moments at the ranch; short diegetic-feeling cue functioning as scene color.
Why it matters: shows the album’s wry tonal shifts — a wink at the story’s spiritual satire.

“Ride of Bonanza Jellybean” — k.d. lang
Where it plays: passages linked to Bonanza Jellybean and cowgirl set-pieces; non-diegetic score cue.
Why it matters: gives the rebellious cowgirls their brisk musical tag.

“Curious Soul Astray” — k.d. lang
Where it plays: reflective road imagery and post-conflict breathers; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: tempers satire with melancholy; one of the score’s most song-shaped moments.

Note: exact timestamps differ across theatrical and later video edits; verified cue titles and their narrative functions are listed without reproducing the full commercial tracklist.

Music–Story Links

Club-tempo singles externalize Sissy’s kinetic credo (keep moving, keep choosing), while the waltzes and prairie cues bind her to Rubber Rose’s community and its rituals. When the plot pivots from runway detours to ranch resistance, the underscore swaps neon sheen for parlor-band gestures — the sound of a counterculture forming.

How It Was Made

Writing & production: k.d. lang and Ben Mink co-wrote and produced; the film credits list both as composers. Session personnel include Teddy Borowiecki (keys/accordion) and horn players such as Lincoln Adler and Anne King; Toby Emmerich served as executive music producer.

Brief & palette: in pre-release coverage, Mink described a period-influenced brief (set in the ’70s): polka, jazz-fusion, country waltz, even Sly-style boogie — which maps cleanly onto the album’s mixture of cues and songs. (Trusted sources: Vanity Fair; Discogs/credits; Metacritic credits.)

Reception & Quotes

The film divided critics, but many singled out the music’s personality and coherence compared with the cut’s turbulence. AllMusic profiles the album squarely within lang’s discography; contemporary press noted the singles’ club impact.

“k.d. lang’s score is the picture’s sole worthy component.” Leonard Maltin

“As far as that goes [it] definitely scores a wholehearted ‘thumbs up’.” Hot Press

Availability: streaming (Apple Music/Spotify); CD (1993); digital reissue (2010); colored-vinyl reissues (2025 retail listings).

Additional Info

• Album label: Sire Records (Warner Bros.); commercial CD carried Sire/Warner credits.
• Billboard Dance peaks: “Lifted by Love” No. 1 (Aug 1994); “Just Keep Me Moving” No. 6 (Dec 1993).
• UK: “Just Keep Me Moving” peaked at No. 59 (Official Charts Company).
• Select in-film songs not on the album: “Happy Trails” (diegetic); others listed on the film’s soundtrack page.
• 2010: Warner/Apple digital reissue date documented by AllMusic.
• 2025: multiple retailers list a translucent blue vinyl edition marketed as “first time on vinyl.”

Technical Info

• Title: Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack)
• Year: 1993 (album); film 1993/1994 release windows
• Type: Original songs + score cues performed by k.d. lang
• Composers / Writers: k.d. lang, Ben Mink
• Producers: k.d. lang, Ben Mink; Executive music producer (film): Toby Emmerich
• Label: Sire Records (Warner Bros.)
• Singles: “Just Keep Me Moving” (1993); “Lifted by Love” (1994)
• Album chart peaks: US Billboard 200 No. 82; NZ No. 4; AU No. 10
• Runtime: ≈40 minutes (16 tracks including cues)
• Availability: CD (1993), digital (2010), colored vinyl reissues (2025)

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Wikipedia; AllMusic; Apple Music; Spotify; Billboard; Discogs; IMDb; Vanity Fair; TV Guide; retailer listings (HMV/Elusive Disc).

November, 09th 2025