Hear Chris Stapleton’s Toy Story 4 Song “The Ballad Of The Lonesome Cowboy”
Toy Story 4 is coming out in just a few weeks. And singer-songwriter Randy Newman, who wrote the music for the first three films, is returning with two new original songs for the soundtrack: “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” and “The Ballad Of The Lonesome Cowboy,” which is written from Woody’s perspective. “Woody feels like he was a lonesome cowboy until someone comes along and changes his world,” Newman says.
Newman’s original versions of both songs are featured in the movie, but the version of “The Ballad Of The Lonesome Cowboy” that plays over the end credits is performed by bearded country star Chris Stapleton. “Chris Stapleton did a great job on this song,” Newman says.
“To me what has made the Toy Story films hold up over time has been the strength of the stories and the songs and the writing and the characters,” Stapleton adds. “There’s something for people of all ages to enjoy in the world that is Toy Story. It’s a tremendous honor to get to sing a Randy Newman song in what is without question one of the most iconic animated franchises in history.”
Listen to Stapleton’s rendition of “The Ballad Of The Lonesome Cowboy” below.
The Toy Story 4 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is out 6/21 on Walt Disney Records. Pre-order it here. Toy Story 4 hits theaters the same day.