Old Town Road Lyrics: The Song That Marked Lil Nas X’s Road to Fame

Lil Nas X. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)... Selengkapnya

Liputan6.com, Jakarta Lil Nas X is one of the most popular young rappers today, known for his bold style and catchy songs. He quickly went from internet fame to becoming a global star, proving that new artists can rise in unexpected ways.

Born Montero Lamar Hill in Atlanta, Georgia, Lil Nas X started out by sharing music online while working small jobs to support himself. He often promoted his songs on social media, using memes and short videos to grab attention.

Today, he is a young star with many hits, but one song remains especially important for his career and fans: Old Town Road. It was the track that first introduced him to a wide audience and set the foundation for everything that followed.

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Old Town Road Lyrics

Intro

Yeah, I'm gonna take my horse to the old town road

I'm gonna ride 'til I can't no more

I'm gonna take my horse to the old town road

I'm gonna ride 'til I can't no more

(Kio, Kio)

Verse 1

I got the horses in the back

Horse tack is attached

Hat is matte black

Got the boots that's black to match

Ridin' on a horse, ha

You can whip your Porsche

I been in the valley

You ain't been up off that porch, now

Chorus

Can't nobody tell me nothin'

You can't tell me nothin'

Can't nobody tell me nothin'

You can't tell me nothin'

Verse 2

Ridin' on a tractor

Lean all in my bladder

Cheated on my baby

You can go and ask her

My life is a movie

Bull ridin' and boobies

Cowboy hat from Gucci

Wrangler on my booty

Chorus

Can't nobody tell me nothin'

You can't tell me nothin'

Can't nobody tell me nothin'

You can't tell me nothin'

Outro

Yeah, I'm gonna take my horse to the old town road

I'm gonna ride 'til I can't no more

I'm gonna take my horse to the old town road

I'm gonna ride 'til I can't no more

I got the hor-

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The Story Behind Old Town Road

Old Town Road was the song that put Lil Nas X on the map. First released independently in December 2018, the track spread online and gained early attention. In April 2019, a remix featuring country singer Billy Ray Cyrus was released under Columbia Records, which helped bring the song to a wider audience. With its mix of country and hip-hop, the track stood out from the start and became the song that introduced him to millions of listeners.

In an interview with Genius, Lil Nas X explained that the song began as a “runaway, loner cowboy story.” The horse in the Old Town Road lyrics represented not having much, while the “old town road” symbolized the path to success. He described it as wanting to leave behind struggles and move forward without turning back.

He also shared how the Old Town Road lyrics reflected his own life at the time. Living with his sister, depending on his dad to pay his phone bill, and not wanting to return to school or a regular job, he poured those feelings into the song. The cowboy image, he said, captured both the sense of perseverance and the confidence of proving doubters wrong, expressed in the line “Can’t nobody tell me nothing.”

The success of Old Town Road began on TikTok, where short clips of people using the song helped it reach millions of listeners. From there, it crossed into the mainstream and climbed to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It went on to stay at the top for 19 weeks, breaking the all-time record and making history. This long run at number one turned the track into more than just a viral hit. It became a cultural phenomenon that launched Lil Nas X into global fame.