"I did what I wanted to do," he exclaims. "This was straight up me. Nobody told me to do this record. We pulled in every genre we were feeling at the time. We spent the last ten years trying to make this sound -- Hell Paso is it."
Never compromising, Koe might just be the last real rebel out there. The gold-selling singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer shakes up the status quo, shatters expectations, and sticks to his guns with a sound steeped in country storytelling, yet spiked with grunge grit. He's unapologetic, undeniable, and unlike anyone else you've ever heard. Without anything to prove and nothing to lose, he continues to kick ass on his own terms. Breaking through with a series of independent releases and tallying over 1.3 BILLION streams to date, he has impressively notched three RIAA Gold-certified singles, including "February 28, 2016," "Something To Talk About," and "Drunk Driving." The latter adorned his 2020 Columbia Records debut, Sellout, which arrived to widespread critical acclaim from American Songwriter, Billboard, The Boot, Rolling Stone, and more. At the same time, he has quietly emerged as a powerhouse performer. He graced Pollstar's "Top Worldwide Tours" back-to-back in 2020 and 2021, moving hundreds of thousands of tickets in the process. In addition to headlining his own Koe Wetzel's Incredible Music Festival, he has packed arenas, amphitheaters, and ballparks across North America, attracting a devout audience.
At the top of 2022, Koe and longtime collaborator Taylor Kimball retreated to Sonic Ranch Recording Studio -- a stone's throw away from the Mexican border just outside of El Paso, Texas. Holed up on a pecan farm for a month, they had nothing to do "except eat wonderful Mexican food and fucking play music."
"It was straight-up bliss, man," he says. "I couldn't go to the bar because there isn't one. I just had to make music!"
Fittingly, he set the stage for Hell Paso with "April Showers." Powered by a galloping riff awash in distortion, it culminates on one of his most chantable choruses. "It gives you a taste of the entire record," he adds. "It was a good song for everyone to jump into."
On its heels, the single "Creeps" crawls on grimy guitar towards a sing-song refrain tailormade for stadium-sized crowds -- or karaoke at your favorite old watering hole.
"It was a feel-good song for me," he says. "I'm big into the zombie apocalypse like The Walking Dead, so I wanted an apocalyptic zombie video for this bitch."
Punctuated by nocturnal Spanish guitar and spaghetti western-style whistling, "Cabo" recounts a weekend of endless debauchery in Mexico with no shortage of gory details. "It's a million percent true," he grins. "I've pissed off a lot of girlfriends and wives, but other than that it's wonderful."
Hank Ealy from Turnpike Troubadours lays down tear-drenched pedal steel on "So Low" where Koe confesses, "I'm so low it's fucking awesome. Makes me glad there ain't a cure for insane."
"It was like nothing we've ever done before, so I was like, 'Hell with it, put it on here'," he says.
"Yellabush Road" brings him back home with vulnerable verses and another vital hook, "And I'm way too blessed to bitch today."
"'Yellabush Road' is my community," he goes on. "It used to be a lot bigger. They had a school, a church, and everything out there. Now, there's not even a road sign for it. This is my hometown song though. You get on the road, you get away from everything you know, and you start to miss it. So, the tune puts me back there."
Then there's "Better Without You." Guitar wails in between a punch beat as he promises, "I'm doing better without you being around."
"I bought a house a year ago, and I've probably slept in my bed for maybe like two months out of the last year," he notes. "I had to unpack everything in my garage. One of those boxes had all of my ex-girlfriend's shit in it. It was raining outside. I was in one of those moods where I was like, 'Fuck this, I'm going to sit on the couch and grab a guitar.' You're over it, but you're not really over it."
The ride reaches its emotional highpoint on "Sad Song." He concludes the record with a fiery final word.
"I just got in the booth and sang," he recalls. "It was all in the moment."
In the end, there's nobody like Koe, and we should be really fucking grateful.
"Put out something authentic, it worked. This record is going to get a lot of flack, but it's going to get a lot of love too. I'm not going to stop. Hopefully, I go home at some point, kiss Grandma, and she'll maybe cook me breakfast."
One And Only
Koe Wetzel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Faded hearts and fights that never end
All the lies and broken promises, "I'll never do that again's"
I sure hope we don't end up like them
Cause you're way too pretty to be crying from those eyes
And screaming never looked good on you
And I know I've said this 100 times, 100 more just won't do
You're my one and only
You're my one and only
Well I promise it's not you, it's me
And I set out to become what I want to be
And I might not find happiness but I swear that I'll succeed
I promise it's not you it's me
And you're way too pretty to be crying from those eyes
Screaming never looked good on you
And I know I've said this 100 times, 100 more just won't do
You're my one and only
You're my one and only
You were the only thing that kept me sane
And now I'm sitting outside my mind
And I know that you said someday that I'd be missing your face
But I swear I didn't think it'd be tonight
I... yeah yeah
Cause you're way too pretty to be crying from those eyes
And screaming never looked good on you
And I know I've said this 100 times, 100 more just won't do it
You're my one and only
You're my one and only
You're my one and only
You were my one and only
In the song "One and Only" by Koe Wetzel, the artist is expressing his hopes that the relationship he is in will not end up like others he has seen, with "faded hearts and fights that never end." He references the "lies and broken promises" that often lead to these types of endings and expresses his desire to avoid them. He then reassures his partner that she is his "one and only" and that he is not leaving her because of any fault of hers, but rather because he needs to focus on his own personal growth and goals.
The artist acknowledges that his partner is too beautiful to be crying, and that he has told her many times that he loves her and wants to be with her. He also acknowledges that she has been the only thing keeping him sane, but now he feels like he is "sitting outside [his] mind." The song ends with a repetition of the line "you're my one and only," further emphasizing the artist's love and commitment to his partner.
This song is a heartfelt expression of love and fear of losing someone important. The artist acknowledges that relationships can be difficult and can end poorly, but he hopes to avoid this fate with his partner. He reassures her of his love, but also acknowledges the need to put his own growth first.
Line by Line Meaning
I sure hope we don't end up like them
I don't want our relationship to become like others', ending in fights and broken promises.
Faded hearts and fights that never end
Worn out emotions and constant conflicts ruin relationships like ours.
All the lies and broken promises, "I'll never do that again's"
Repetitive false assurances never help fix broken trust.
Cause you're way too pretty to be crying from those eyes
Seeing you upset breaks my heart, especially when you're so beautiful.
And screaming never looked good on you
Yelling and raising your voice doesn't suit you, it only makes things worse.
And I know I've said this 100 times, 100 more just won't do
Repeating the same words won't change anything, but I need you to know how much you mean to me.
You're my one and only
Out of everyone in the world, you are the only one I want to be with.
Well I promise it's not you, it's me
I know things aren't going well, but it's not because of anything you've done wrong; it's me.
And I set out to become what I want to be
I'm on a journey to find my own happiness and purpose in life.
And I might not find happiness but I swear that I'll succeed
I may not know exactly what I'm looking for, but I won't stop until I find it.
You were the only thing that kept me sane
During tough times, you were my rock and the reason I kept going.
And now I'm sitting outside my mind
I feel like I'm losing my sanity and sense of self without you.
And I know that you said someday that I'd be missing your face
You warned me that one day I'd regret not having you in my life anymore, and now I see how true that is.
But I swear I didn't think it'd be tonight, I... yeah yeah
I didn't expect to feel this pain so soon, and I don't know how to handle it.
You were my one and only
In the past, you were the only person I wanted to be with, and I still feel that way now.
Writer(s): koe wetzel
Contributed by Adam V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Brandi
on Ragweed
Both the singer and the girl he loves miss Ragweed, a broken up a Red Dirt Country Band. They share this feeling.
The girl's mother has a low opinion of the singer as a person.
Not only the mother, but also the girl's second step-father does not like the singer either.
The girl has a quirky personality and is always silly and playful.
Despite her quirks and her mother's disapproval, the girl and the singer bond over their shared love for Ragweed.
The singer expresses a deep affection towards the girl and wants her to know how much she means to him.
The singer is attracted to the girl's eyes and smile, as well as her suggestive and vulgar language.
The singer believes his friends will not like the girl, but he himself finds it difficult not to love her.
The girl suggests that Oklahoma is better than where they are, but the singer is not interested in discussing it.
The singer and the girl have spent a lot of time drinking and doing drugs together, and the singer is surprised he has fallen in love with her.
The girl's step-father, who is unpleasant, also does not approve of the singer.
Another reiteration of the fact that the girl's step-father is unpleasant and does not like the singer.
Once again, the shared love for Ragweed remains a bonding point between the girl and the singer, despite their other differences and the disapproval of the girl's family members.