Nobody's Girl

I have and always will be a big fan of Reckless Kelly. But there is never a competition when it comes to which of their songs is my favorite--it is always "Nobody's Girl." I don't know when I first heard the song was, but since then I have gone through stages of making it more or less my theme song. I have to admit a deep-rooted problem of trusting any male as anything more than a friend, so this song has always seemed to have a strong meaning to me--or at least parts of it.  I'm sure it hits home with a lot of girls who have a fear of guys taking advantage of them, or things just not working out.  Even without relating to the lyrics, "Nobody's Girl" has a fun, upbeat sound that is great to dance to or just jam out to.

Johnny Cooper @ Billy Bob's Texas

I recently heard Johnny Cooper's new single "Hot Mess" and I must say it's...different. Back in highschool,  I was a huge fan of his because not only was he part of my first experience at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth, but my friends and I actually got to go hang out with him in his hometown of Wichita Falls a few weeks after the concert. If you have never been to Billy Bob's I would highly recommend it. It has a true country feel and is located in the historic Stockyards.

Anyway, my friends and I decided we needed to go as soon as we all turned 18. So in February of our senior year we loaded up and drove the hour and a half to Fort Worth to see Johnny Cooper and dance the night away. We had an absolute blast two-stepping with all the old men (we got there early because we were young and inexperienced) and actually got to meet Johnny before the show. The thing is, this was back when his music was actually considered country. Hot mess really isn't a bad song, but it is nothing like Johnny Cooper's old sound.

I have to admit that I still love to jam out to "Texas To You" when I'm on the road. It's catchy lyrics are fun to sing my heart out to.

Let It Go

No Texas Country music blog would be complete without some Randy Rogers Band. Some of my fondest memories include a soundtrack of Randy Rogers in the background which is what made me think of him tonight when I needed a little cheering up. This summer has been long, too hot and extremely stressful for me. A lot of life changes have occurred that are changing the way I view my life and my future. Because of this I have felt confused and a little lost lately, which only adds to the building stress.

So, as I was sitting here talking to my mom and trying to map out where life may take me, I thought of a song that I have always loved but never truly listened to what the lyrics are saying. Tonight, they kind of spoke to me...letting me know that I can't control everything and that sometimes it's best to just let some things go.  I realize that I have to set some things free before they completely take over how I view the world. I thought I'd share the lyrics with everyone--maybe they can help you out as well.

The wolf is always knocking
Behind your back somebody’s talking
Yeah the sun always sets at the end of the day 
Nobody wins every game they play

Your lucky stars already taken 
And every close call leaves you shaken 
Don’t be afraid if you have to fold 
Just count your blessings and hit the road 

Let it go, let it ride
You couldn’t fix it if you tried
It’s a whole lot worse holding it all inside 
Let it go, set it free
There are some things you aren’t supposed to keep
Don’t go crazy over what you can’t control
Let it go

When it’s fixed but it still feels broken
And your favorite guitar gets stolen
When your back’s up against the wall 
And every step you take you fall

Let it go, let it ride
You couldn’t fix it if you tried
It’s a whole lot worse holding it all inside 
Let it go, set it free
There are some things you aren’t supposed to keep
Don’t go crazy over what you can’t control
Let it go

Everything happens for a reason 
And you aint gonna stop it
If you build your own prison
Only you have a key to unlock it

Let it go, let it ride
You couldn’t fix it if you tried
It’s a whole lot worse holding it all inside 
Let it go, set it free
There are somethings you aren’t supposed to keep
Don’t go crazy over what you can’t control
Let it go
Let it go

Crazy Heart

This summer has been one where i'm constantly on the move, traveling all over Texas to see family or friends. Because of all this traveling I've come to realize that as long as I have some good music blaring I don't seem to mind all the driving. Recently, my mom had surgery so I was driving back to my hometown every weekend to be there for her (which is a four hour drive), so I've gotten to listen to a lot of music.  I always just put my iPod on shuffle and let it decide what music I'll be enjoying, which I love because there are so many songs that come up that I haven't heard in years or just simply forget to play. So as I was driving to San Antonio to see my Mom yesterday (she was there for a conference) I was listening to a very wide array of songs and singing along with most of them. About 30 minutes out of San Antonio a Ryan Bingham song came on and since I hadn't listened to him for quite some time, I shut my shuffle off and just played a few of his songs. I was easily reminded why I love his gravelly voice and raw lyrics. His music just resonates with people...makes them think, which is probably why he has recently become nationally-known for the Crazy Heart theme song "The Weary Kind." 

Hoping For Rain

This week has just been one of those weeks. Nothing has gone right. I've been extremely busy and stressed out and haven't had any time to just sit back for a while and enjoy life. While all the things that I needed to get finished today were running through my head on my way into work, "When It Rains" by Eli Young Band came on the radio. I immediately turned the volume up and sang along with the song, hoping that maybe the sky would open up and just storm. I guess on days when things just seem too stressful, it feels like the weather should match your mood, rather than being sunny and bright like it was today.

It's funny how a song can come on and suddenly the lyrics seem to point out directly how you're feeling at the moment. I guess music is just like that though; relatable to life and everyday instances. There is always some song that can make you feel a little bit better about what you're going through, relieve a bit of the stress that is weighing you down. Today, that song was definitely "When It Rains" for me. When it came on I stopped worrying for the three and a half minutes it was on and just sang along.

Crazy Girl

I remember the very first country music concert I went to was Eli Young Band. It was before they were well-known or on iTunes, and I had definitely never heard any of their music. (It was also my first 4th of July concert at Possum Kingdom Lake.) I remember listening to them and dancing around on the grass with all my best friends thinking that life couldn't get any better. We were all just living in the moment, enjoying the music that resonated so well with us because it was all about escaping small towns, growing up and getting away.

Since that summer, Eli Young Band has grown to be one of the bigger Texas country bands, with their newest music video for "Crazy Girl" making it on CMT.com, and mentions in many different country music blogs such as the Taste of Country blog. I know since it's release in early May, my little sister and I have jammed out to "Crazy Girl" on repeat several times. There is just something about Eli Young Band that makes me want to roll the windows down, drive down a long & open highway singing my heart out. If you haven't listened to their newest single, "Crazy Girl" yet, you should definitely check it out.

On another note: My song of the moment - Jake Owen "Barefoot Blue Jean Night"

More Cows Than People

As I was driving back to Austin yesterday a song came on XM Radio that cracked me up. The song was by Ashton Shepherd (who I had never heard of before) about a tiny town where there were literally more cows than people. As I've mentioned several times before, my town is very small...so listening to this song literally reminded me of the humor of small towns.

Cause there ain't much of nothin' out here
Just a bunch of fence and pasture
Grain elevators and a couple old tractors
Little bitty church, big ole steeple
Ain't no noise, no red lights
Ain't no buildings messin' up my moonlight
Ain't no doubt, why I live out where there's more cows than people
   -Ashton Shepherd "More Cows Than People"


If you have never been out of the "city" to where pastures take up more area than the tiny town they surround, then you're really missing out. One of my friends who was from Houston said it best..."If you blink, you'll probably miss it, but once there it's kind of fun!"  This really describes my hometown.  


Lately, as I've grown closer to graduating i've become sentimental about Graham and moving permanently away from there.  Because many of the Texas Country songs have lyrics which bring back special moments from my childhood and high school that I have long forgotten, I have begun to really listen to the lyrics rather than just the beats. It has brought around the knowledge that yes, most Texas country songs are about drinking, but some actually have a few lines which have some deep meaning.