I haven’t done a new installment of ‘What the Kids Are Listening To’ since last November (not counting the year-end roundup) so I figured it was time to check back in with the latest chart-toppers.
I’m excited by the song at #1 on the latest edition of the Hot 100: Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas.’ This surprise hit was co-written by my beloved Miranda Lambert, and I’m always happy to see her get her flowers, even indirectly.
Most of the credit is due to Langley, of course, who co-wrote the track and performs it with a mix of melancholy and grit. But indulge me as I celebrate both of these women.
Country music has certainly made a dent on the Hot 100 in recent years, but it is almost entirely due to songs by men. In fact, Langley is only the 12th woman since 2000 to break the top five with a country song, let alone top the chart. With seven weeks (and counting?) at #1, ‘Choosin’ Texas’ is already the longest-running #1 hit by a female country artist in Billboard history.
Just when I thought I got him to fall in love with Tennessee
I shoulda known better than to take him back to Abilene
I put him right back into her arms
I wasn’t a match for that kind of spark
[Chorus]
She’s from Texas, I can tell by the way
He’s two-steppin’ ’round the room
And judgin’ by the smile that’s written on his face
There’s nothin’ I can do
It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see
A cowboy always finds a way to leave
Drinkin’ Jack all by myself
He’s choosin’ Texas, I can tell
[Verse 2]
Well, I guess he forgot about the Smoky Mountain rain
Them old Hank tunes, the Memphis blues we used to sing
He always loved “Amarillo by Morning”
I should’ve taken that as a warnin’
[Chorus]
She’s from Texas, I can tell by the way
He’s two-steppin’ ’round the room
And judgin’ by the smile that’s written on his face
There’s nothin’ I can do
It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see
A cowboy always finds a way to leave
Drinkin’ Jack all by myself
He’s choosin’ Texas, I can tell
[Bridge]
When I’m eastbound and down, and I can’t help but cry
‘Cause I-40 gets lonelier with every mile
I’ll know that his mind wasn’t ever gonna change
‘Cause his heart still belongs to the Lone Star State
[Chorus]
She’s from Texas, I can tell by the way
He’s two-steppin’ ’round the room
And judgin’ by the smile that’s written on his face
There’s nothin’ I can do, naw, yeah
It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see
A cowboy always finds a way to leave
Drinkin’ Jack all by myself
He’s choosin’ Texas, I can tell, no
Drinkin’ Jack all by myself
He’s choosin’ Texas, I can tell
[Outro]
Come on, baby
Oh yeah
Just when I thought I got him to fall in love with Tennessee
Meet Me In Montauk 