Green began his musical career when he was 18 and in college at Texas Tech in Lubbock. "I started playing guitar to pick up the chicks," Green laughs. "Before that, I only sang in the shower. I could mimic other people's voices. It took me a long time to find my own voice, but once I did, I became very comfortable with it. It's not real pretty but it's believable."
During those college years, Green started playing clubs and opening shows for other artists. In 1995, he put out his first independent record.
"I don't know exactly where it began, if it was Willie Nelson's picnic or one of Jerry Jeff's shows, but I got asked to play and there was a huge crowd there," Green says. "After that show, we started getting some radio support. All of a sudden, everything started happening at once. We were selling a ton of records. We were able sell out Billy Bob's. In Dallas-Fort Worth, we were selling 4, 5, 6000 seats. In Houston and everywhere else, it started being 1000, 2000 seats. It just started steamrolling. I think it was a combination of the popularity of Robert Earl Keen, Jerry Jeff Walker and Willie Nelson leading the forefront for us little guys. We just all fell in line behind them."
The result of that faith was Green's 2001 major-label debut, Three Days, on Republic/Universal. The album Wave On Wave followed in 2003, and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard country albums chart, and the title track cracked the Top 5 on the singles chart. He released Lucky Ones in 2004. In 2006, after a move to the RCA imprint BNA, he issued Cannonball.
Texas On My Mind
Pat Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Texas on my mind
Thinking about my friends there
And a girl I'd left behind
The way she held me when we kissed
The loving that we'd done
And how I left her waving goodbye standing in the Texas sun
I've got a half a mind to call her
Half a mind to go
Jump a big jet liner
And wing it on my way back home
And all the morning it was raining on the streets of Liverpool
So I stayed in and played guitar and sang the lovesick blues
My mind kept going back in time when we both had fun
And how I left her waving to me standing in the Texas sun
I've got a half a mind to call her
Half a mind to go
Jump a big jet liner
And wing it on my way back home
In my dreams she's still in love with me
But I'd have to travel home to see
If she's found another man to take the place of me
Guess I'll have to keep on dreaming sunny memories
Wishing I was back there doesn't help me much at all
When I want to hold her it doesn't help me much to call
Stuck here in this seaport town longing for the one
That I left behind me there standing in the Texas sun
I've got a half a mind to call her
Half a mind to go
Jump a big jet liner
And wing it on my way back home
I've got a half a mind to call her
Half a mind to go
Jump a big jet liner
And wing it on my way back home
Pat Green's song "Texas On My Mind" is a nostalgia-filled ballad about a man who wakes up in Liverpool with thoughts of Texas and his life there, including friends and a girl he had left behind. He reminisces about the love that they shared and the way she held him when they kissed. He remembers how difficult it was for him to leave her waving goodbye under the Texas sun. In the chorus, he expresses his desire to go back home and reconnect with the people and the life he has left behind. He contemplates calling the girl he loves, but ultimately decides to jump on a big jet liner and wing his way back home.
The song paints a vivid picture of homesickness, nostalgia, and longing. Pat Green's lyrics are universal and resonant; they evoke a sense of longing for home, friends, and loved ones. The song is a testament to how powerful Texas can be as a symbol of home, identity, and belonging.
Green wrote the song in 1995 during a tour in Europe, after being away from Texas for over a month. He missed his family, friends, and girlfriend, and the song was a way for him to express his longing for home. The song was later included in his 1997 album "Carry On."
Line by Line Meaning
I woke up this morning
The singer woke up today in his current location.
Texas on my mind
His thoughts keep drifting back to Texas.
Thinking about my friends there
He's reminiscing about all his friends he left behind in Texas.
And a girl I'd left behind
He's particularly thinking about a girl he left behind in Texas.
The way she held me when we kissed
The singer still remembers how she would hold him and how her love felt.
The loving that we'd done
He misses their relationship and the connection they had.
And how I left her waving goodbye standing in the Texas sun
He is remembering how he left her, standing in the sun, possibly regretting leaving her behind.
I've got a half a mind to call her
He's considering calling her, but he's indecisive about it.
Half a mind to go
He's contemplating going back to Texas to see her.
Jump a big jet liner
He's considering buying a plane ticket to fly back to Texas.
And wing it on my way back home
He's planning to fly back home to Texas.
All the morning it was raining on the streets of Liverpool
It's pouring rain in his current location in Liverpool, England.
So I stayed in and played guitar and sang the lovesick blues
He's staying in and playing the guitar, feeling sad and lovesick.
My mind kept going back in time when we both had fun
He keeps reminiscing about the past and how much fun they had together.
In my dreams she's still in love with me
The singer still dreams of her being in love with him.
But I'd have to travel home to see
He knows he has to go back home to confirm whether or not she still has feelings for him.
If she's found another man to take the place of me
He's worried that she may have found someone else to replace him.
Guess I'll have to keep on dreaming sunny memories
He'll keep dreaming of happy times with her until he can return to Texas.
Wishing I was back there doesn't help me much at all
Just wishing to go back to Texas doesn't help him much.
When I want to hold her it doesn't help me much to call
He realizes that just calling her won't make up for not being able to hold her.
Stuck here in this seaport town longing for the one
He's stuck in Liverpool, missing the one he left behind in Texas.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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