There's a Girl in Texas

Album: Dreamin' Out Loud (1996)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • On his Live Country! DVD, recorded on August 1, 2014 at The Paramount in Huntington, New York, Adkins said this was his "new favorite old song." Telling the story behind it, he said: "In 1992 I moved to Nashville, Tennessee. I'd been living in Dallas, playing honky-tonks out there in Texas. Fast forward to 1994, and I'm trying to get a record deal with Capitol Records. The guy says, 'Is there a girl in Texas?' I said, 'Hell yeah there's a girl in Texas. There's a bunch of girls.' He said, 'Write me a song about it.'"

    With that in mind, Adkins came up with this song about leaving Texas - and in many ways his identity - behind. He knows that no matter what happens, there's a girl back in Texas who gets him.
  • Adkins' reality was a little different than what he sings about in this song. He moved to Nashville at the urging of his second wife, who wanted to put some distance between them and his first wife. Around the same time, he got a call from his former booking agent, who urged him to pursue his music career.
  • This was Adkins first single; it made a respectable showing on the Country chart, peaking at #20. He would go on to become one of the biggest names in the business, selling over 10 million albums.
  • Adkins wrote this song with Vip Vipperman, whose credits include "1982" by Randy Travis and "Sideways" by Darryl Worley.
  • The video did very well on CMT and helped launch Adkins' career. It was directed by Michael Merriman, who also did the clips for "Boot Scootin' Boogie" by Brooks & Dunn and "If I Lost You" by Travis Tritt.

Comments: 1

  • Vassilis from Athens Greece, EuropeAmazing song by an amazing artist, right awesome ;-)
see more comments

Editor's Picks

John Waite

John WaiteSongwriter Interviews

"Missing You" was a spontaneous outpouring of emotion triggered by a phone call. John tells that story and explains what MTV meant to his career.

Charlie Daniels

Charlie DanielsSongwriter Interviews

Charlie discusses the songs that made him a Southern Rock icon, and settles the Devil vs. Johnny argument once and for all.

Barry Dean ("Pontoon," "Diamond Rings And Old Barstools")

Barry Dean ("Pontoon," "Diamond Rings And Old Barstools")Songwriter Interviews

A top country songwriter, Barry talks about writing hits for Little Big Town, Tim McGraw and Jason Aldean.

Director Nick Morris ("The Final Countdown")

Director Nick Morris ("The Final Countdown")Song Writing

Nick made some of the biggest videos on MTV, including "The Final Countdown," "Heaven" and "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)."

John Kay of Steppenwolf

John Kay of SteppenwolfSongwriter Interviews

Steppenwolf frontman John Kay talks about "Magic Carpet Ride," "Born To Be Wild," and what he values more than awards and accolades.

Supertramp founder Roger Hodgson

Supertramp founder Roger HodgsonSongwriter Interviews

Roger tells the stories behind some of his biggest hits, including "Give a Little Bit," "Take the Long Way Home" and "The Logical Song."