Willie
Nelson’s valentine to gay cowboys debuts on Howard
Stern's show

Willie Nelson's rendition of the song "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly (Fond of Each Other)," written by Texas-born musician Ned Sublette in 1981, debuted on Howard Stern's Sirius Satellite Radio morning program today, coinciding with the track's exclusive Valentine's Day release on iTunes. Nelson recorded the song last year during an iTunes Originals session at his Texas studio.

According to a statement from Lost Highway Records, which timed the release to capitalize on Brokeback Mountain's Oscar buzz, a video by the Broken Lizard Comedy Troupe (Super Troopers, Club Dread) is also in the works. Another Willie Nelson cover, "He Was a Friend of Mine," appears on the Brokeback Mountain soundtrack. Fans of the queer punk band Pansy Division may remember "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly" as a track on their 1995 album Pileup.