Find the full lyrics to Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas.’ Get the official words for singalongs and karaoke from her new country single.
The lyrics for Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” present a clear narrative of romantic rivalry rooted in geography. The words provide fans with the story for singalongs and personal connection, using specific place names to anchor the emotion. The song opens with a verse set in Tennessee, where the narrator believed she had secured her partner’s affection. The action of taking him to Abilene, Texas, however, reverses her progress, as she “put him right back into her arms.” The narrator concedes she was “not a match for that kind of spark,” establishing the central conflict between herself and the pull of Texas.

ella langley choosin’ texas
The chorus introduces the rival, identified simply by her origin: “She’s from Texas, I can tell by the way / He’s two-stepping ‘round the room.” The narrator observes the man’s joy and realizes her powerlessness. The lyrics generalize the situation with the line, “A cowboy always finds a way to leave,” while the narrator is left “Drinking Jack all by myself.” The title phrase, “He’s choosin’ Texas, I can tell,” serves as the resigned conclusion. The second verse deepens the nostalgia for the moments they shared in Tennessee and the Smoky Mountains, contrasting them with the man’s pre-existing love for classic Texas-themed songs like “Amarillo by Morning,” which the narrator now sees as a missed warning sign.
For listeners seeking the lyrics for karaoke or deeper understanding, the song employs classic country imagery. The bridge shifts to a scene of departure, with the narrator traveling east on I-40, a real highway that runs from Texas to Tennessee. The line “I-40 gets lonelier with every mile” physicalizes her emotional journey. She accepts that his mind “wasn’t ever gonna change / ‘Cause his heart still belongs to the Lone Star State.” The lyrics use these concrete locations—Abilene, Tennessee, I-40—to make the story tangible. The structure relies on a strong, repeatable chorus and a relatable premise of losing out to a past love or a deeper cultural pull. This makes the words effective for group singing and aligns with the country genre’s tradition of storytelling about specific American landscapes and the hearts attached to them.
Produced by Ella Langley, Miranda Lambert, Ben West
October 17, 2025
1 song, 3 minutes
℗ 2025 SAWGOD Records/Columbia
Lyric Video
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
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
I put him right back into her arms
I wasn’t a match for that kind of spark
[Chorus]
She’s from Texas, I can tell by the way
He’s two-stepping ’round the room
And judging by the smile that’s written on his face
There’s nothing I can do
It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see
A cowboy always finds a way to leave
Drinking Jack all by myself
He’s choosin’ Texas, I can tell
[Verse 2]
Well, I guess he forgot about the Smoky Mountain rain
Them old Hank tunes, the Memphis blues we used to sing
He always loved “Amarillo by Morning”
I should’ve taken that as a warning
[Chorus]
She’s from Texas, I can tell by the way
He’s two-stepping ’round the room
And judging by the smile that’s written on his face
There’s nothing I can do
It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see
A cowboy always finds a way to leave
Drinking Jack all by myself
He’s choosin’ Texas, I can tell
[Bridge]
When I’m eastbound and down and I can’t help but cry
‘Cause I-40 gets lonelier with every mile
I’ll know that his mind wasn’t ever gonna change
‘Cause his heart still belongs to the Lone Star State
[Chorus]
She’s from Texas, I can tell by the way
He’s two-stepping ’round the room
And judging by the smile that’s written on his face
There’s nothing I can do, naw, yeah
It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see
A cowboy always finds a way to leave
Drinking Jack all by myself
He’s choosin’ Texas, I can tell, no
Drinking Jack all by myself
He’s choosin’ Texas, I can tell
[Outro]
Come on, baby
Oh yeah
Just when I thought I got him to fall in love with Tennessee