Modern Day Cowboy

"Modern Day Cowboy" is the debut single by American rock band Tesla, from the band's debut studio album, Mechanical Resonance. The song's lyrics make references to criminals such as Billy the Kid and Al Capone, until the final verse, which references Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union.^{[citation needed]}

"Modern Day Cowboy"
Single by Tesla
from the album Mechanical Resonance
Released	December 1986^[1]
Recorded	1986
Studio	Bearsville Studios in Bearsville, New York
Genre	Glam metal^[2]
Length	5:19
Label	Geffen
Songwriter(s)	Jeff Keith Frank Hannon Tommy Skeoch
Producer(s)	Steve Thompson Michael Barbiero
Tesla singles chronology
"Modern Day Cowboy" (1986) "Little Suzi" (1987)

Music video

A music video was produced for the song, which shows Nikola Tesla playing films in an abandoned movie theater. Tesla shows footage of the band performing the song, along with scenes from the movies High Noon, Scarface, and Dr. Strangelove. The beginning of the video shows the theater marquee with the names of all three films with some letters missing, along with the name of the band.^[3]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Modern Day Cowboy"	5:19
2.	"Love Me" (live)	4:36
3.	"Cover Queen" (live)	4:31

Charts

Charts (1987)	Peak
US Main. Rock^[4]	35

In popular culture

The song was featured in the video game Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock.^[5] The song was also featured in the Supernatural episode "Beyond the Mat".^[6]

Personnel

• Jeff Keith – lead vocals
• Frank Hannon – lead guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
• Tommy Skeoch – rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
• Brian Wheat – bass guitar
• Troy Luccketta – drums

References

1. Wuench, Kevin (February 19, 2015). "Lost and found: Tesla's 'Modern Day Cowboy'". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
2. Replugged Live – Tesla | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved July 14, 2021, On Replugged Live, Tesla excels by sticking with what it does best: bluesy, melodic pop-metal -- and the Californians are focused and inspired on tight performances of old favorites like "The Way It Is," "Modern Day Cowboy," "Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)," and the power ballad "Love Song."
3. "Tesla – Modern Day Cowboy". YouTube. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
4. "Tesla Chart History – Mainstream Rock Songs". Billboard. Eldridge Industries. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
5. . About.com. September 14, 2015. Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
6. ""Supernatural" Beyond the Mat (TV Episode 2016) – Soundtracks". IMDb. Retrieved February 10, 2017.