When singer-songwriter Paula Cole shot to musical superstardom in 1996 with her album This Fire (known for hits like “I Don’t Want to Wait” and “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?”), she was often seen with her long, dark hair in braids. Now, nearly 30 years later, the Grammy-nominated musician’s hair is a stunning shade of silver…but her beautiful voice hasn’t changed a bit, as a recent video proved.
In a video shared to TikTok this week by her official account, Cole, 57, strummed a guitar while singing the chorus of “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” Her silver hair was partly pulled back from her face, and she wore a pair of dark-rimmed glasses to announce a run of upcoming shows in Canada.
“Canada! I’m so excited to come back this year. It’s been 27 years or something crazy like that since I’ve been there,” she wrote in her caption.
@paulacoleofficial Canada! I’m so excited to come back this year. It’s been 27 years or something crazy like that since I’ve been there. You can see all the dates on my website and buy tickets there. I can’t wait to see you! #paulacole #paulacolemusic #paulacolecanadiantour #wherehaveallthecowboysgone #dawsonscreek
♬ original sound – Paula Cole
Fans in the comments were thrilled to see the singer back in action.
“90s me was too young to appreciate how incredibly talented you are. I’m glad current me is here to recognize it,” one person wrote, with a second adding, “Oh my god!!! Paula!!! You are so loved.”
“I saw you at the Chicago Theatre soooo many years ago. You were fantastic!!!” someone else gushed.
‘Where Have All the Cowboys Gone’ was widely misunderstood
In a 2021 interview with Yahoo! Entertainment, Cole expressed her frustration over the fact that many listeners misinterpreted “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” — meant to be a feminist commentary on gender stereotypes — as the story of a woman hoping to be rescued by a “macho” man.
“Oh, yes. And they still [believe] that — there’s still those folks holding out!” she said.
“It was so bizarre,” Cole continued. “You put out a piece of work and you know what it means, but then you let it go out into the world and it’s like witnessing, I don’t know, like an anthropological study. You learn about people. It was one of Rush Limbaugh’s favorite songs; he’d play it on his radio station! In some ways, it was horrific. … In the moment, it was galling. I remember even though Spin magazine had been supportive of me, they didn’t get it. One of the writers wrote that I was the ‘Tammy Wynette of Lilith Fair.’ And it was so the opposite — I was actually one of the most outspoken feminist dark horses on that whole stage.”
In 2016, Cole attempted to clear up any confusion by recording a new studio version of the song for her album This Bright Red Feeling, changing the lyrics from I will wash the dishes / While you go have a beer to You go wash the dishes / While I go have a beer, per American Songwriter.
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