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Those Nashville-produced products may be singing about horses and ranching, but Canadian legend Ian Tyson lives the lifestyle.
"There are very few guys who are good at both music and ranching," Tyson, 68, says from his ranch southwest of Calgary. "I've come to the conclusion it takes a very long time to learn how to do both those things. You're not going to be 28 years old and be a full-fledged cowboy and singer-songwriter."
Tyson should know. After an injury ended his career as a rodeo cowboy, he became half of folk duo Ian and Sylvia, who hit the charts in the 1960s with songs such as Four Strong Winds, Someday Soon and You Were on My Mind.
Tyson recorded more than 12 albums with wife Sylvia before the couple divorced. He hosted his own CBC television show from 1970-75 before dropping out of the music scene altogether and returning to his first love, ranching.
After a few years he recorded some country songs to give to his friends for Christmas and ended up releasing them at the urging of his new wife and a group of American cowboys and cattlemen.
Since then he has released nine albums, including his latest, Live at Longview, inspired by his life in the Alberta foothills where he raises horses and cattle.
"The weather is probably the basis of more songs than almost anything: weather in relationships, relationships estranged by weather, it's a reoccurring theme," he says.
Tyson says he has been getting a bit more recognition in the past few years as a new generation discovers his music. He was inducted to the Juno Hall of Fame with Sylvia Tyson in 1992 and was named to the Order of Canada six years ago.
"I've had a lot more acceptance in the last few years. I was always an outsider or a rebel but I guess you eventually get recognized for your contributions," he says.