Country music has many homes, but many of its top artists have found a permanent place in Texas. Rougher around the edges than Tennessee, Texas is a breeding ground for country artists who can’t be pinned down. Much like the wayfaring cowboys that epitomized the state, these artists aren’t looking for acceptance from the mainstream. This kind of attitude will make you long to know the ins and outs of the Lone Star State, too. The three country songs below will make you miss Texas, even if you’ve never been.
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“Heart of Texas” (Laci Kaye Booth)
We’re starting our list of country songs about Texas with a relative newcomer to the country scene, Laci Kaye Booth. Like many before her, Booth uses The Lone Star State as a physical manifestation of a broken heart. Only this time, it’s not her heart that’s broken. Booth switches the narrative (which typically finds the women left behind) by having her be the one who rides off into the sunset. I was wild and I was reckless / And broke the heart of Texas, Booth sings, rounding out the titular play on words in this ballad.
“Dime Store Cowgirl” (Kacey Musgraves)
Though “Dime Store Cowgirl” recounts all the places Kacey Musgraves’ career has taken her, it also reminds the listener of where she came from: Texas. You can take me out of the country / But you can’t take the country out of me, she sings in this country song about Texas. She may have been all around the world, but it’s her hometown she returns to time and time again. Not all of us have the personal connection to Texas that Musgraves has, but this song certainly makes us want to become familiar with the southern staple.
“El Paso” (Marty Robbins)
Getting into more classic fare, we have Marty Robbins’ “El Paso.” One of the most alluring aspects of Texas is its connection to the Wild West. It may be situated down south, but history (and a plethora of Westerns) tell us that this state saw its fair share of rough-and-tumble cowboys as well. This track delivers a tale befitting the Old West mystique. It’s an iconic track for a reason. Many generations of listeners have waited with bated breath to hear what Robbins will say next in this grim tale.
“All My Ex’s Live in Texas” (George Strait)
We couldn’t make a list of country songs about Texas without mentioning this George Strait hit. “All My Ex’s Live in Texas” has been an emblem for the state since its release in the late ’80s. But all my exes live in Texas / And that’s why I hang my hat in Tennessee, has become an iconic line in the country sphere, moving countless subsequent artists to sing about the Lone Star State.
(Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)
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