Outlaw Country music pioneer Tanya Tucker has always had a rough edge, one that led her to record her rough and tumble 1978 hit, “Texas (When I Die)”. Tucker was born in Texas in 1958 but spent the majority of her youth in Wilcox, Arizona, where she grew acquainted with country music. As her music career began to take off, Tanya Tucker became known for her attitude and is credited as one of the forerunners of the Outlaw Country movement, defined by Pitchfork as, “A metaphor for the lifestyle: facing off against the establishment, hiding your contraband from the cops, and touring from town to town as though chased by the law.” Her signature sound is a blend of country and rock influences, giving her the gritty, powerful edge that sets her aside from the masses. This is clearly evident in “Texas (When I Die)”, where Tucker’s Texas roots added a southern flare to the song, incorporating the rock sound typical of Outlaw Country.
Tanya Tucker represents Texas in the twangy echoes of the guitar and the slow, bluesy beat. Texas drips from the drawl in her voice, but the outlaw grit peeks through throughout the tune and is in full effect by the concluding chorus reprise.
“Texas (When I Die)” opens with four lines that capture the true spirit of traditional Texan identity:
When I die I may not go to heaven
I don’t know if they let cowboys in
If they don’t just let me go to Texas, boy!
Texas is as close as I’ve been
Here, the song suggests that Texas is equivalent, or a very close second to heaven, usually associated with God, and other religious figureheads. This bold statement would fit the typical Texan mythology as it relates to the idea that Texas, and everything in it, is just slightly superior to anything else. Furthermore, the song draws comparisons to New York and Detroit, claiming in the first verse that “New York couldn’t hold my attention / Detroit City couldn’t sing my song” and closes with the lines “If tomorrow finds me busted flat in Dallas / I won’t care, ‘cause at least I’ll know I’m home.” These lines further play into Texas identity, claiming that it is better to be broke in Dallas than successful in any city outside of Texas. The main takeaway of “Texas (When I Die)” is that Texas reigns supreme over any other American territory for its resemblance to heaven and its welcome feel.
“Texas (When I Die)” is the tenth track from Tanya Tucker’s 1978 record, TNT, recorded on MCA Records at Kendun Recorders in Burbank, California. The song was originally recorded by American country musician Ed Bruce in 1972, co-written by his now-ex-wife Patsy Ann Bruce, a successful country music songwriter best known for “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys,” as well as American country music singer Bobby Borchers. Bruce’s release peaked at #52 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1972. When Tucker’s version was released six years later, it peaked at #5 on Billboard’s US Hot Country Song Chart, ending at #47 by the conclusion of 1979.
Although Tanya never specifically explains why she chose to cover this tune, or why she’s changed the title slightly, she credits her father as a key decision-maker when it came to the songs she covered. In a 2009 Texas Monthly interview, Tanya talks about the songs she’s covered in her career, stating: “Most of them were songs that I sang as a youngster, ones that my dad had introduced me to or songs that I had heard all my life and had never sung but had always wanted to.” Tucker was only twenty years old at the time of the song’s debut, so it’s highly likely that her father’s influence on her musical interests was a significant factor in her choice to cover the song and release it among an album of originals.
Lyrics:
When I die I may not go to heaven
I don’t know if they let cowboys in
If they don’t just let me go to Texas, Boy!
Texas is as close as I’ve been.
New York couldn’t hold my attention
Detroit City couldn’t sing my song
If tomorrow finds me busted flat in Dallas
I won’t care, ’cause at least I’ll know I’m home.
When I die I may not go to heaven
I don’t know if they let cowboys in
If they don’t just let me go to Texas, Boy!
Texas is as close as I’ve been.
I’d ride through all of Hell and half of Texas
Just to hear Willie Nelson sing a country song
Beer just ain’t as cold in old Milwaukee
My body’s here, but my soul’s in San Antone.
When I die I may not go to heaven
I don’t know if they let cowboys in
If they don’t just let me go to Texas, Boy!
Texas is as close as I’ve been.
When I die I may not go to heaven
I don’t know if they let cowboys in
If they don’t just let me go to Texas, Boy!
Texas is as close as I’ve been.
Works Cited:
Cowboys’ Songwriter, Dies at 81.” Nashville Tennessean, 17 May 2021, www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2021/05/17/patsy-bruce-dies-82-mammas-dont-let-your-babies-grow-up-cowboys/5121831001/.
“Hot Country Songs – Year-End | Billboard.” Billboard, www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1979/hot-country-songs. Accessed 31 Aug. 2021.
Lambert, Arden. “Tanya Tucker’s Classic Hit “Texas (When I Die)”.” Country Thang Daily, 12 Nov. 2019, www.countrythangdaily.com/tanya-tucker-texas-when-i-die/.
Larkin, Colin. The Guinness Who’s Who of Country Music. Guinness Publishing, 1993.
Meyer, Holly, et al. “Patsy Bruce, ‘Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be
Nast, Condé. “What Exactly Makes a Country Outlaw?” Pitchfork, 5 June 2018, pitchfork.com/thepitch/what-exactly-makes-a-country-outlaw/.
Smith, Evan. “Tanya Tucker.” Texas Monthly, 1 Sept. 2009, www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/tanya-tucker/. Accessed 13 Sept. 2021.
“Tanya Tucker Chart History.” Billboard, www.billboard.com/music/tanya-tucker/chart-history/CSI/4. Accessed 31 Aug. 2021.
“T.N.T. – Tanya Tucker | Credits | AllMusic.” AllMusic,
www.allmusic.com/album/tnt-mw0000198762/credits.
Tucker, Tanya. “Texas (When I Die).” TNT, 6 Nov. 1978.Whitburn, Joel. The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits. Watson-Guptill Publications,
1996.
