Lone Star Songs

Guy Clark, Bobby Weir, Leon Bridges + Khruangbin, and Texas Country

Boomer Sooner

Boomer Sooner

Boomer Sooner

Boomer Sooner

—Arthur M. Alden, The University of Oklahoma Fight Song

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While this week’s newsletter is celebrating the music of Texas, we want to make sure everyone knows who the Swap is cheering for this weekend - Kody is from Oklahoma and Ben is still sour about Bama losing to Texas.

Our bonus track author is cheering on the Sooners as well. She’s a Texas A&M Aggie and stands in solidarity with us against the Horns.

She also has a great piece on Texas Country - something we can all cheer about!!

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Dublin Blues by Guy Clark (Kody)

This song is so Texas. Clark gives us both the tough-cowboy sound and the love-sick lyrics so common in the songs Texans sing.

You can hear it right from the start.

I wished I was in Austin in the Chili Parlor Bar

Drinking Mad Dog Margaritas and not caring where you are

But here I sit in Dublin just rolling cigarettes

Holding back and choking back the shakes with every breath

Also available on Apple Music.

Texas Sun by Leon Bridges and Khruangbin (Mat)

I love country, but not everyone does. So, we’ll stick with the Texas theme here but switch gears on the genre. Since it came out, I have been vibing to this track that features two of my favorite artists. Enjoy the sweet soulful vocals of Forth Worth’s Leon Bridges and the funky instrumentation of Houston’s Khruangbin. Both artists are worth a listen on their own, but for now, feel the wind blowin’ through your hair as you feel the warmth of the Texas sun.

Also available on Apple Music.

El Paso by The Grateful Dead (Adam)

Just for a moment, I stood there in silence

Shocked by the foul, evil deed I had done

Many thoughts raced through my mind as I stood there

I had but one chance, and that was to run

Marty Robbins originally recorded El Paso in 1959. It’s a tale of love and death in an old West Texas town. I first heard this song sung by Bobby Weir of the Grateful Dead. Bobby had a real infatuation with country western music. The dead first played this tune in 1969 and played it until they were no more. Bobby sang that song as a member of the Dead 389 times. My favorite version is from the infamous show performed at Cornell in 1977. The vivid imagery woven throughout the song makes it a tune not to miss whether sung by Marty or Bobby.

Also available on Apple Music.

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Bonus Track: Can’t Love Nobody on the Telephone–The Heart of Texas Country by Cami Bethancourt

I’m not usually an early adopter of trends. I tend to think of myself as an old soul, traditional, classic. But when I first heard the early artists of the Texas Country music movement, I knew I had found my sound.

I remember being in middle school when my best friend and I popped her older brother’s cd into the stereo. It was Robert Earl Keen’s No. 2 Live Dinner and I was mesmerized. It didn’t sound like the stuff on my local radio station. Keen’s distinctive voice whined on in a memorable cadence about life on the road in “I’m Comin’ Home,” reminiscing jovially about a holiday get-together in “Merry Christmas From the Family,” and spinning a web of lies and deceit masterfully told in “The Road Goes On Forever.”

I saw my first REK show with my dad at age 16 in a ratty dive bar in Abilene, TX. I left the guy’s house I was dating at the time to make it to the show and I didn’t even think to invite him. Sorry, Brad. I knew Robert had better things for me. Because Robert is a personal friend of my dad, we got to hang out on the tour bus after the show. The absolute coolest thing as a teenager. Robert is funny and winsome and easy to love. And he’s certainly my favorite Texas Country artist.

Lucky for me, I was coming of age at the same time Texas Country music was picking up steam. With pioneers like Jerry Jeff Walker and Gary P. Nunn playing Luckenbach in the 70s, a new batch of artists was ready to build on their regional fame. The late 90s and early 2000s were rocket fuel for the Texas Country movement. Folks were flocking to live shows by Robert Earl Keen, Pat Green, Roger Creager, Charlie Robison (RIP), and Jack Ingram. It was a magical time to be a college student at Texas A&M University where all of these artists cycled through on a regular basis. Also lucky for me, I found a cute Aggie guy named Phillip who liked my musical taste and knew how to two-step. We’re going on 19 years married now.

Currently, as a mom of 4 sons driving back and forth between school, home, and church, I have made sure they are all well acquainted with these Texas Country troubadours. In fact, just this morning my third son was heard belting out: “Ain't got time to shoot the breeze/Got no time to blow/Excuse me, mister, if you please/I gotta go” (REK “I Gotta Go”) while he was getting ready for school. We’ve also had our fair share of two-step lessons in the kitchen with a Texas Country soundtrack giving us inspiration.

Texas Country artists embody what makes this state so great: an unquenchable desire to blaze a trail and at the same time not forget where you came from. They all honorably tip their hat to George Strait—The true King of Texas Country. They are relentless on the road and play to crowds who know everything in their catalog. In true Texas fashion, Texas Country music is certainly country music, just done better and on our own terms.

Josh Abbott Band and Pat Green got it right in their memorable ode to Texas: “Think polished pop country crap sounds the best, Then you ain't met my Texas yet.” (Josh Abbott Band “My Texas”)

I’ll close this section with some recommended Texas Country artists and my personal favorite song of theirs. Give ‘em a listen and breathe in some Lone Star spirit.

Robert Earl Keen
“Feelin’ Good Again” (Realizing that you’re in a better spot than you once were)

Cory Morrow
“21 Days” (An anthem to life on the road)

Pat Green
“Take Me out to a Dancehall” (Guaranteed to get you out on the dance floor)

Randy Rogers Band
“This Time Around” (A little rock edge with beautiful harmonies)

Wade Bowen
“Death Dyin’ and Deviled Eggs” (For anyone who’s ever been to a small town funeral)

Flatland Cavalry
“One I Want” (Fiddle highlights in a catchy love song)

Josh Abbott Band
“She’s Like Texas” (If a Texas guy plays this for a Texas girl, it’s getting serious)

Aaron Watson
“Getaway Truck” (Lively song that’s great for a highway drive)

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Cami Bethancourt lives in Bryan, TX and is raising 4 sons with her husband Phillip. Her favorite live music venues are Luckenbach and Gruene Hall. Her last concert was Flatland Cavalry and Parker McCollum preceded by some noteworthy enchiladas from Los Barrios in San Antonio, TX.

Thanks for reading this Texas-sized music newsletter. We love doing this every week and we’re thankful that you’ve chosen to swap music with us. Note: We are aware that Willie Nelson is not mentioned in this Texas edition. We’re sorry! We never promise exhaustive coverage - just some tunes we’re diggin’ and a brief deep dive from a friend. Tyler Cunningham (Kody’s brother-in-law), please reply with your favorite Willie songs!

-TheMusicSwap