Song Meaning

The lyrics present a clear, almost folksy argument for unity, framing the historical tension between farmers and cowmen as fundamentally irrational. The core message is that despite their different livelihoods – one "push[ing] a plough," the other "chase[ing] a cow" – there's "no reason why they cain't be friends." This simple dichotomy is then expanded to encompass the broader "Territory folks," who "should stick together" and act as "pals." The song emphasizes shared social spaces, like dances, where "Cowboys dance with farmer's daughters" and "Farmers dance with the ranchers' gals," suggesting that social interaction can bridge occupational divides. The central tension arises from the explicit acknowledgment of conflict, particularly the farmer's "fences" built "across our cattle ranges," which elicits a hostile "dirt scratchers" retort. This friction is further highlighted by the contrasting descriptions of each group: the farmer is "good and thrifty," while the cowboy "rides fer days on end / With just a pony fer a friend." Even these seemingly sympathetic portrayals are undercut by playful jabs, like the farmer "steal[ing] her butter and cheese" or the implication that cowboys might be unwelcome "unless somebody else's buyin' drinks" and that one should "locked up your wife an' daughters." These moments reveal a grudging, almost reluctant, camaraderie beneath the surface plea for harmony. The most striking craft element is the song's structure, which moves from a simple, repetitive chorus advocating friendship to more specific, argumentative verses, and then back to unity. The introduction of Aunt Eller's forceful intervention – shooting a gun to stop a fight and declaring "Ain't nobody gonna slug out anything, this here is a party" – is a pivotal moment. It underscores that the ideal of unity must sometimes be actively enforced against the very real, petty squabbles that threaten it. This direct, almost theatrical, assertion of order highlights the fragility of the desired peace. Ultimately, the lyrics' effectiveness lies in their blend of earnest idealism and wry humor. They acknowledge the practical grievances and stereotypes that divide people but consistently return to the simple, powerful idea that cooperation and shared community are more beneficial. The final declaration, "I don't say I'm no better than anybody else / But I'll be damned if I ain't just as good," serves as a powerful, egalitarian thesis statement. It suggests that true unity is built not on superiority, but on mutual respect and the recognition of shared humanity, especially as the territory prepares to become a state and requires its inhabitants to "act like brothers."

1979 Broadway Cast of Oklahoma! & Philip Rash & Mary Wickes & Harry Groener & Laurence Guittard & Nick Jolley & Robert Ray & Stephen Crain & Christine Ebersole - Pop, Soundtrack

The Farmer and the Cowman

2 Plays

[ANDREW] The farmer and the cowman should be friends Oh, the farmer and the cowman should be friends One man likes to push a plough The other likes to chase a cow But that's no reason why they cain't be friends Territory folks should stick together Territory folks should all be pals Cowboys dance with farmer's daughters Farmers dance with the ranchers' gals [ALL] Territory folks should stick together Territory folks should all be pals Cowboys dance with farmer's daughters Farmers dance with the ranchers' gals [FARMER] I'd like to say a word for the farmer [AUNT ELLER] Well, say it [FARMER] He come out west and made a lot of changes [MAN] That's right [WILL] He come out west and built a lot of fences [CURLY] And built 'em right across our cattle ranges [COWBOY, spoken] Why don't you dirt scratchers go back to Missouri where you belong? [WILL, spoken] We got just as much right here [MAN, spoken] Shut up [FARMER] The farmer is a good and thrifty citizen [WILL, spoken] He's thrifty all right [FARMER] No matter what the cowman says or thinks You seldom see him drinkin' in a bar room [CURLY, spoken] Unless somebody else's buyin' drinks [ANDREW] The farmer and the cowman should be friends Oh, the farmer and the cowman should be friends The cowman ropes a cow with ease The farmer steals her butter and cheese That's no reason why they cain't be friends [MAN] Yeehoo [ALL] Territory folks should stick together Territory folks should all be pals Cowboys dance with farmer's daughters Farmers dance with the ranchers' gals [AUNT ELLER] I'd to say a word for the cowboy [FARMER, spoken] You would? [AUNT ELLER] The road he treads is difficult and stoney [MAN, spoken] That's right [AUNT ELLER] He rides fer days on end With just a pony fer a friend [ANNIE] I sure feelin' sorry fer the pony [AUNT ELLER] The farmer should be sociable with the cowboy If he rides by an' ask for food an' water Don't treat him like a louse Make him welcome in your house [IKE] But be sure that you locked up your wife an' daughters [MAN, spoken] Who needs an old barn woman anyhow? [WOMAN, spoken] Noticed ya married one so as you could get a square meal [MAN, spoken] You can't talk about our woman folk that way [ALL] Oh, the farmer and the cowman should be friends Oh, the farmer and the cowman should be friends *Aunt Eller shoots a gun and all scream* [AUNT ELLER, spoken] Ain't nobody gonna slug out anything, this here is a party Break it up you two old fools Alright Andrew sing it - dum diddy um um um [ANDREW] The farmer and the cowman should be friends [AUNT ELLER, spoken] Alright everybody [ALL] Oh, the farmer and the cowman should be friends [AUNT ELLER, spoken] That's right sing it [ALL] One man likes to push a plough The other likes to chase a cow But that's no reason why they cain't be friends [IKE] And when this territory is a state An' joins the union jus' like all the others The farmer and cowman and the merchant Mus' all behave theirselves and act like brothers [AUNT ELLER] I'd like to teach you all a little sayin' And learn the words by heart the way you should I don't say I'm no better than anybody else But I'll be damned if I ain't just as good [ALL] I don't say I'm no better than anybody else But I'll be damned if I ain't just as good Territory folks should stick together Territory folks should all be pals Cowboys dance with farmer's daughters Farmers dance with the ranchers' gals

Credits

Writers: Richard Rodgers
Oscar Hammerstein II
Rodgers & Hammerstein

The Farmer and the Cowman

The Farmer and the Cowman

Lyrics

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Credits