About the Artist
“Texas (When I Die)” by Tanya Tucker was produced by Jeff Goldstein and released on November 28, 1978, as the first single from her album, TNT. After its release, the song peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.
Tanya Tucker was born in 1958 in Seminole, Texas, but often moved around due to her father’s job. She spent much of her childhood in Arizona, but also lived in Utah, Nevada, and eventually Tennessee. Tucker eventually recorded a demo that was brought to the attention of Billy Sherrill, producer and the head of A&R at CBS Records. Sherrill saw a true talent in Tucker and she was signed to Columbia Records. Tucker made her official debut at age 13 with the release of her song, “Delta Dawn” in 1972, which peaked at number 6 on the country charts.
Tucker is often associated with the genre of ‘outlaw country’ or being an ‘outlaw singer’. Some notable artists also associated with this are Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Jessie Colter, and more. These artists combine qualities of country and rock into their music, but more specifically, they were artists that wanted creative freedom to produce, write, perform, and make music the way they wanted, without the control of a record label. More information on outlaw country music and musicians can be found here.
Song Discussion
This song is quite simple, with just 2 choruses, 2 verses, and an outro where the chorus is repeated multiple times.
The Chorus
When I die I may not go to heaven
Well, I don’t know if they let cowboys in
If they don’t just let me go to Texas, boys
Texas is as close as I’ve been
In the chorus, the main basic idea is that Tucker is concerned that an outlaw like her would not be allowed into Heaven. But, she is okay with that idea as long as she can go to Texas because she sees it as her ‘Heaven’. She sees Texas as a utopia that provides her with the utmost happiness and would rather be there than anywhere else. In the chorus, we can also see some of the things that Texas outsiders may often associate with the state, such as religion (when she refers to Texas as “Heaven”) and cowboys.
First Verse
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
Tucker finds that nowhere else can quite compare to Texas — New York was too boring and Detroit “couldn’t sing [her] song,” which I would assume could literally mean that they didn’t know her music or any country music. Another possibly meaning could be the idiom of ‘singing the same song’ or ‘singing the same tune’ meaning that she didn’t feel like she belonged there; she wasn’t on the same page as everyone else. She says that she wouldn’t care if she was found “busted flat” (meaning broke, without money) in Dallas because she would be in her home state, where she feels safe and sound.
Second Verse
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
Tanya Tucker would basically do anything to hear Willie Nelson, another country artist, Texas native, and Outlaw, sing a country song. She claims that the beer in Texas just can’t be beaten and it isn’t as good in Milwaukee. Tucker says that her body is elsewhere (not clearly stated where), but her soul is in San Antonio — she will always have Texas in her soul no matter where she is in the world. This verse brags about Texas and all the amazing things that come from it, in comparison to other states
I think Tucker shows us a great sense of Texas pride and holds it to a very high standard, even going as far as to say that places like New York were too boring and just “couldn’t hold [her] attention.” Tucker mentions things that people often associate with Texas: Willie Nelson, beer, cowboys, and famous locations like San Antonio and Dallas, and basically shares why Texas is better than anywhere else. No matter where she goes and what she tries, Texas will always hold a place in her heart and will always be her favorite place. Despite moving around so often as a child, she never lost her sense of Texas pride.
Citations
Sparkman, Darby. “’Texas When I Die’: The Story behind Tanya Tucker’s Ode to the Lone Star State.” Wide Open Country, 16 Oct. 2021, https://www.wideopencountry.com/texas-when-i-die/.
“Tanya Tucker.” Billy Bob’s Texas, 11 Nov. 2021, https://billybobstexas.com/artists/tanya-tucker.
“Tanya Tucker’s Classic Hit ‘Texas (When I Die)”.” Country Thang Daily, 12 Nov. 2019, https://www.countrythangdaily.com/tanya-tucker-texas-when-i-die/.
“Tanya Tucker – Texas (When I Die).” Genius, https://genius.com/Tanya-tucker-texas-when-i-die-lyrics.
