The Ultimate TEXAS Playlist

ByAndrew Evans
April 01, 2013
4 min read

All travelers sing–the road demands it.

Driving more than 5,000 miles around Texas granted me a lot of radio time, and as I traveled across the wide open landscape of the Lone Star State, I discovered some truly brilliant melodies and lyrics. I also exceeded the daily recommended allowance for country music.

It would seem that for centuries, beautiful Texas has inspired artists and travelers alike to sing about this great place in the world. The following playlist comprises all my favorite songs about Texas, songs that mention the word “Texas”, songs about cities and towns in Texas, songs by musicians from Texas, as well as the official Texas state song. (I owe a Texas-size “Thank You” to all of you for introducing you to so many terrific Texas tunes.)

So, here it is–the ultimate TEXAS playlist:

  1. Deep in the Heart of Texas/ Perry Como
  2. Bluebonnets/ Cross Canadian Ragweed
  3. Southland in the Springtime/ Indigo Girls
  4. Cowboy Take Me Away/ Dixie Chicks
  5. The Mighty Rio Grande/ This Will Destroy You
  6. Too Far From Texas/ Stevie Nicks
  7. Merry Go ‘Round/Kacey Musgraves
  8. Gone to Texas/ Terry Allen
  9. Ohio (Come Back to Texas)/Bowling for Soup
  10.  Way Down Texas Way/ Asleep At The Wheel
  11. We Are All Where We Belong/ Quiet Company
  12. T is for Texas (Blue Yodel No. 1)/ Jimmie Rodgers
  13. That’s Right (You’re Not From Texas)/ Lyle Lovett
  14. Texas/ Laura Belle Bundy
  15. Somewhere in Texas/ Raveonettes
  16. Texas Rivers Song/ Lyle Lovett
  17. If You’re Gonna Play in Texas/ Alabama
  18. Miles and Miles of Texas/ Asleep at the Wheel
  19. What I Like About Texas/ Jerry Jeff Walker & Gary P. Nunn
  20. Abilene/ George Hamilton IV
  21. Houston/ R.E.M.
  22. I Don’t Live In Dallas/ Jarrod Birmingham
  23. Galveston/ Jimmy Webb
  24. Levelland/ James McMurtry
  25. San Antonio Rose/ Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
  26. Amarillo by Morning/ George Strait
  27. Streets of Laredo/ Johnny Cash
  28. Laredo/ Band of Horses
  29. Corpus Christi Bay / Robert Earl Keen
  30. Travis County/ Gary Clark, Jr.
  31. Luckenback, Texas/ Waylon Jennings
  32. La Grange/ ZZ Top
  33. Villa del Refugio/ This Will Destroy You
  34. El Paso/ Marty Robbins
  35. Texarkana/ R.E.M.
  36. Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind?/ George Strait
  37. Texas When I Die/ Tanya Tucker
  38. She’s Like Texas/ Josh Abbot Band
  39. Screw You, We’re from Texas/ Ray Wylie Hubbard
  40. God Blessed Texas/ Little Texas
  41. Texas/ Chris Rea
  42. Texas On A Saturday Night/ Willie Nelson & Mel Tillis
  43. Yellow Rose of Texas/ Gene Autry
  44. Waltz Across Texas/ Ernest Tubb
  45. Ride Ranger Ride/ Cass County Band
  46. All My Ex’s Live in Texas/ George Strait
  47. The Bluest Eyes in Texas/ Restless Heart
  48. Texas Flood/ Stevie Ray Vaughan
  49. Stars Over Texas/ Tracy Lawrence
  50. Red River Valley/ Woodie Guthrie
  51. I’m Bound to Follow the Longhorn Cows/ Alan Lomax
  52. The Texas Song/ Sandy (from Sponge Bob Squarepants)
  53. Texas, Our Texas/ Rick Pickren
  54. Blame It On Texas/ Mark Chesnutt

A cowboy sings in Austin, Texas, "Live Music Capital of America" (Photo by Andrew Evans, National Geographic Traveler).
A cowboy sings in Austin, Texas, “Live Music Capital of America” (Photo by Andrew Evans, National Geographic Traveler).

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