Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys is a classic country song written by Ed Bruce and Patsy Bruce. It was first recorded by Ed Bruce and released in the mid 1970s on his self‑titled United Artists album, reaching No. 15 on the Hot Country Singles chart. The song warns mothers not to let their children grow up to be cowboys, describing the tough and solitary cowboy life and suggesting steadier careers like doctors or lawyers. The best known version is the 1978 duet by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson from the album Waylon & Willie, which topped the country charts for four weeks and earned the 1979 Grammy for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. It has also appeared in The Electric Horseman and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and is recognized as one of the Top 100 Western songs by the Western Writers of America.
