Watch Jon Pardi’s Panoramic ‘Ain’t Always the Cowboy’ Video

Jon Pardi depicts a conflict of domesticity and restlessness in the new video for “Ain’t Always the Cowboy,” which was released on Tuesday. The song is the second single from the California native’s 2019 album Heartache Medication.

Penned by Brandon Kinney and Josh Thompson, “Ain’t Always the Cowboy” gives more than a subtle nod to major Pardi influence George Strait, whose own song “The Cowboy Rides Away” was a hit in 1985. In this case, those gender narratives are inverted and it’s the cowboy’s partner who refuses to sit still.

The new video, directed by Carlos Ruiz and filmed in the scenic desert West, brings that narrative to life. The woman in this story does all the riding, spending her waking hours training on horseback, while the man at home longs for a little more of her company. In the end, he has to find some acceptance that she’s going to load up the trailer and head on down the road.

Pardi has been racking up career milestones since the release of his second album California Sunrise produced hits including the chart-topping “Dirt on My Boots.” The title track from Heartache Medication was another country radio Number One for the singer, recently getting certified Gold by the RIAA. An ACM Award nominee for Album of the Year, Pardi also appears as a guest on Thomas Rhett’s single “Beer Can’t Fix.”