'Concrete Cowboy' by Lanie Gardner – Lyrics & Meaning

Every year, there's a class of rising artists that seem to take the bull by the horns and propel themselves into country music stardom. This year, we're betting that Lanie Gardner will find herself in that category.

With her breakout tune, 'Buzzkill,' ushering in her new sound and a new album cycle at the top of 2025, the North Carolina native has been steadily sharing one infectious snippet after another across her socials, teasing that a bevy of new music would be coming our way this summer.

After teaming up with Warren Zeiders and Thomas Rhett for a pair of duets this spring, Gardner has finally released the next taste of what's to come with the sizzling 'Concrete Cowboy.'

Written by Gardner alongside Katie Cecil & Chris Ganoudis – who also serves as the song's trusty producer – the track sees a much more mature perspective and vocal performance compared to her tongue-in-cheek 'Buzzkill.'

With her rich, sultry vocals front and center, Gardner is accompanied by a collection of 808 beats and steel guitar, as well as standout electric guitar and banjo picking that give the tune a perfect cross-section of country and pop.

“You rolled into town
Black mustang in a smoke cloud
No southern drawl when you speak
And those boots a little too clean
Saw something that you liked
Thought you'd try it on for size
Now ain't that right?
Did it feel nice?

Was it worth it to get a taste of that honeysuckle?
Tell me was it worth it to break her heart?"

Almost playing out like an old western, Gardner tells the tale of a city slicker who rolls into town, cos-playing as a good ole southern boy.

Not able to back up the act, we hear about how the guy caught the eye of an unassuming southern belle, but his intentions weren't all that pure.

Having no care for whether he broke her heart or not, Gardner points the question of if their little rendezvous was worth it for him.

“Concrete cowboy
Shouldn't have loved her if you didn't know how, boy
Pulled a wildflower out of southern ground
And watched the color fade out
Fell for those city lights in your eyes
But she couldn't survive the heart of
A concrete cowboy"

Usually referring to someone who dresses the part of a cowboy but has never actually participated in the cowboy way of life, Gardner gives this man the moniker of "concrete cowboy," and explains that if he didn't really love her, he shouldn't have wasted the girl's time.

Comparing what he did to picking a flower and ultimately watching it wilt away, she notes that the man's heart of stone was simply too much for the girl to bear.

“Said you wanted something real
But she'll never know how that feels
If you keep on playing house
And you keep on burning it down
Well, I guess you had your fun
Didn't last a couple months
Was that enough
To leave it in the dust?"

While the wannabe cowboy proclaimed he wanted "something real," it's obvious that his words and actions never aligned.

Playing the part of someone in a dedicated relationship, he ultimately just continued to break her down and sow distrust while he shattered her heart.

In the end, the big reveal comes in the bridge as we find out that the girl who was taken for a fool was actually the singer herself, making it all the more heartbreaking.

"Concrete cowboy
Shouldn't have loved her if you didn't know how, boy
Pulled a wildflower out of southern ground
And watched the color fade out
Fell for those city lights in your eyes
But she couldn't survive the heart of
A concrete cowboy"

You rolled into town
Black mustang in a smoke cloud
No southern drawl when you speak
And those boots a little too clean
Saw something that you liked
Thought you'd try it on for size
Now ain't that right?
Did it feel nice?

Was it worth it to get a taste of that honeysuckle?
Tell me was it worth it to break her heart?

Concrete cowboy
Shouldn't have loved her if you didn't know how, boy
Pulled a wildflower out of southern ground
And watched the color fade out
Fell for those city lights in your eyes
But she couldn't survive the heart of
A concrete cowboy

Said you wanted something real
But she'll never know how that feels
If you keep on playing house
And you keep on burning it down
Well, I guess you had your fun
Didn't last a couple months
Was that enough
To leave it in the dust?

Concrete cowboy
Shouldn't have loved her if you didn't know how, boy
Pulled a wildflower out of southern ground
And watched the color fade out
Fell for those city lights in your eyes
But she couldn't survive the heart of
A concrete cowboy

No, she couldn't survive the heart of
A concrete cowboy

Was it worth it to get a taste of that honeysuckle?
Tell me was it worth it to break my heart?

Concrete cowboy
Shouldn't have loved her if you didn't know how, boy
Pulled a wildflower out of southern ground
And watched the color fade out
Fell for those city lights in your eyes
But she couldn't survive the heart of
A concrete cowboy

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