Chris Stapleton saddles up to sing "The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy" in "Toy Story 4"

Walt Disney RecordsIf Woody from Toy Story has a country music counterpart, it just might be Chris Stapleton.

Chris performs the new song, “The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy,” on the soundtrack of the upcoming movie Toy Story 4. Just like the classic Toy Story song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” it was written by Academy-Award-winning composer Randy Newman.  

The new tune is sung from the perspective of Woody, the animated cowboy voiced by Tom Hanks. Chris sings it over the closing credits of Toy Story 4.

“To me what has made the Toy Story films hold up over time has been the strength of the stories and the songs and the writing and the characters,” Chris says. “There’s something for people of all ages to enjoy in the world that is Toy Story.”

“It’s a tremendous honor to get to sing a Randy Newman song in what is without question one of the most iconic animated franchises in history,” he adds.

The Toy Story 4 soundtrack comes out on Friday, June 21, the same day the latest adventures of Woody and his astronaut friend Buzz Lightyear hit theaters.

You can stream or download “The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy” now, or check out its lyric video on YouTube. 

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