☝️ Key Points
- The song tells the story of a cowboy named Wild Bill who lives in Reno and fights for the love of a Hollywood lady.
- A lawyer named 'The great Philadelphia lawyer' is also in love with the Hollywood lady and promises her a divorce and an immediate wedding.
- Wild Bill is a gunslinger and has a reputation that keeps other men in Reno from approaching the Hollywood lady.
- One night, Wild Bill overhears a conversation between the Hollywood lady and the lawyer and discovers that the lawyer is trying to convince her to go to the city and leave the cowboy.
- In the end, Wild Bill returns to his home in Pennsylvania and the lawyer stays in the city.
Interpretation
The lyrics of the song "Reno Blues" by
Merle Haggard tell the story of a man named Wild Bill who lives in Reno, Nevada. He is a cowboy and has a great love for a Hollywood lady. The text begins with Wild Bill learning about a lawyer named "The great Philadelphia lawyer" who is in love with this Hollywood lady.
Wild Bill and the lawyer compete for the affection of the Hollywood lady. The lawyer promises her a divorce from her husband and an immediate marriage. Wild Bill, on the other hand, is a cowboy and already has a reputation as a gunslinger, which prevents other men in Reno from approaching the Hollywood lady.
One night, Wild Bill returns from his ride and dreams of his Hollywood sweetheart. But as he approaches her window, he sees the lawyer flirting with her. He eavesdrops on their conversation and hears the lawyer trying to convince her to go to the city and leave the cowboy.
At the end of the song, Wild Bill returns to his home in Pennsylvania and it is mentioned that there is now one less lawyer there.
The lyrics of the song "Reno Blues" are about love, jealousy, and the struggle between a cowboy and a lawyer for the love of a woman. It also shows how Wild Bill ultimately finds happiness in his home while the lawyer stays in the city.