Cowboy songs sit just outside the bluegrass mainstream — closer to Marty Robbins than to Bill Monroe — but they cross over enough that pickers know them. “Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie” and “Red River Valley” predate both genres. Marty Robbins’ “Big Iron” and “Diamond Joe” came in from the country side. Jimmie Rodgers’ “Muleskinner Blues” became a bluegrass staple in Bill Monroe’s hands. James Taylor’s “Sweet Baby James” is the singer-songwriter angle. Fifteen songs, all about life on horseback or the country that surrounds it.

Each song’s page on Picker’s Guide has chord charts, lyrics, recordings, and song history.