"So next time they preach with that look in their eye. Ask who wins when you’re scraping by."

We’ve all heard the story: if you work hard enough, you’ll make it. You don’t need help. Just grit, grind, and bootstraps. But what if that story was… a lie?

“The Cowboy Lied” is a folk protest song that unpacks one of America’s most enduring myths — the rugged individualist, the lone cowboy. It’s a myth that sells us pride while quietly eroding our public systems, slashing taxes for the rich, and convincing us that help is weakness.

This song is for everyone who's ever been told “you’re on your own” in a system built to serve the few. It’s time to dust off the old stories and ask who really wins when we buy into them.