The Meaning Behind “Choosin’ Texas” by Ella Langley and Losing Her Homesick Partner to the Lone Star State

“Choosin’ Texas” by Ella Langley has taken root atop the Billboard Hot 100. But in her country hit, Langley learns a hard lesson about roots and the strength of nostalgia.

The lead single from Langley’s second album, Dandelion, has now spent 17 weeks at No. 1. But in “Choosin’ Texas”, her romantic partner isn’t sticking around. He can’t resist the tug home. Or the person pulling the rope.

I Should Have Known

Langley makes the mistake of taking her man back to Texas, where he rekindles a romance with his ex.

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.

The girl is local; Langley can tell by her dancing. And the singer’s man is settling in. But he hasn’t just returned to his home state. His natural resting place seems to be with this Texas girl.

She’s from Texas, I can tell by the way,
He’s two-steppin’ ’round the room.
And judging by the smile that’s written on his face,
There’s nothing I can do.
It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see,
A cowboy always finds a way to leave.
Drinking Jack all by myself,
He’s choosin’ Texas, I can tell.

While Langley was lovesick, her man stayed homesick. Eventually he’d go home. And here, in Tennessee, he’s only visiting.

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 warning.

Eastbound and Down

Even with a partner, there are long stretches of I-40 that feel unbearably lonely. But the further away Langley gets from Texas, and her man, the more lonesome she feels. (Hank Williams has a song for that, too.)

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.

Photo by Terry Wyatt/WireImage