“Choosin’ Texas” is Ella Langley’s 2025 country track about watching someone you love go back to their ex. “Texas” represents both the place and the woman he can’t get over, while Tennessee represents Langley herself. It’s a song about realizing you never really had a chance against someone’s past.
Below is a section-by-section breakdown of the lyrics in “Choosin’ Texas.”
- Song: Choosin’ Texas
- Artist: Ella Langley
- Songwriters: Ella Langley, Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick, Joybeth Taylor
- Released: 2025
- Album: Dandelion
- Genre: Country
What is “Choosin’ Texas” About?
Verse 1: The Mistake
Just when I thought I got him to fall in love with Tennessee
I should’ve known better than to take him back to Abilene
She thought she was winning him over, that he was falling for her and the life they could have in Tennessee.
Then she made the mistake of taking him back to Abilene, Texas, where his ex is from.
I put him right back into her arms
I wasn’t a match for that kind of spark
By bringing him back to Texas, she basically handed him over to his old flame.
Whatever she had with him couldn’t compete with what he still felt for the Texas woman.
Chorus: Two-Stepping Away
She’s from Texas, I can tell by the way
He’s two-stepping ’round the room
The Texas Two-Step is a dance tied to the Lone Star State.
Watching him dance that way instead of anything from Tennessee tells her everything she needs to know about where his mind is.
And judging by the smile that’s written on his face
There’s nothing I can do
He’s happy thinking about Texas, about her, and there’s no competing with that.
She’s already lost this battle.
It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see
A cowboy always finds a way to leave
She doesn’t need to predict the future to know how this ends.
Cowboys, in her experience, always leave eventually, especially when their heart is somewhere else.
Drinking Jack all by myself
He’s choosin’ Texas, I can tell
Jack Daniel’s is a Tennessee whiskey, so she’s left alone with something that represents home while he’s already moved on mentally to Texas.
He’s made his choice, and it’s not her.
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Verse 2: The Warning Signs
Well, I guess he forgot about the Smoky Mountain rain
Them old Hank tunes, the Memphis blues we used to sing
She references Ronnie Milsap’s “Smoky Mountain Rain,” one of the state songs of Tennessee.
She thought they had their own memories tied to Tennessee: the mountains, the music, the life they were building.
But all of that disappeared when Texas came back into the picture.
He always loved “Amarillo by Morning”
I should’ve taken that as a warning
“Amarillo by Morning” is a George Strait song about Texas.
Looking back, she realizes that was a sign all along that his heart was still in Texas.
Bridge: The Long Drive Home
When I’m eastbound and down and I can’t help but cry
‘Cause I-40 gets lonelier with every mile
“Eastbound and Down” is a song by Jerry Reed, a Tennessee artist, which fits the moment of going home defeated.
She’s driving back to Tennessee on Interstate 40, heading east away from Texas.
Every mile she puts between herself and Texas makes the breakup hit her harder.
I’ll know that his mind wasn’t ever gonna change
‘Cause his heart still belongs to the Lone Star State
By the time she’s on that drive, she’ll fully accept what she already knows: he was never going to choose her.
His heart was always in Texas, with the woman from his past.
“Choosin’ Texas” Song Meaning: Losing to the Past
“Choosin’ Texas” uses geography as a metaphor for competing with someone’s ex. Tennessee represents Langley and the relationship she’s trying to build, while Texas represents both the place and the woman who still has his heart. The song is about realizing you’re not just competing with another person but with an entire history and identity tied to a place.
Langley watches the signs pile up: the way he dances, the songs he loves, the smile on his face when he thinks about Texas. She knows before he even leaves that he’s already gone.
Songs Like “Choosin’ Texas”
Here are some tracks that have similar themes of losing someone to their past or another person:
1. “Jolene” by Dolly Parton
Parton’s 1973 classic is about begging another woman not to take your man, knowing she has the power to do it and there’s nothing you can do to stop her.
Related: “Jolene” Song Meaning
2. “Texas Was You” by Jason Aldean
“Texas Was You” is another track about associating Texas with a person you lost, where every memory of it brings back the heartbreak you can’t shake.
3. “Girl Crush” by Little Big Town
This 2014 track is about obsessing over the woman your ex is with, wishing you could be her because she has what you lost.
Related: Best Songs About Jealousy
Conclusion: Texas Wins
“Choosin’ Texas” is a simple yet clever tune in which Ella Langley loses to both a woman and a place. The Texas versus Tennessee setup and the country music references help make it a unique breakup song.
The details are specific, but it’s still relatable because it’s really a song about accepting that some people belong to their past in ways you can’t overcome.
Check out more Country Song Meanings!
