Thursday, June 12, 2008

Huh?

There's a Song Meanings page for Ray Wylie Hubbard's "Screw You, We're From Texas".

Wanna know what that song means?

It means "We're from Texas, so screw you!"

It's really not that hard.

I'm not from Texas, so I guess "screw me", but he does have a point. I mean, Mr. Stevie Ray Vaughn is the best there was, and there is no band cooler than the 13th Floor Elevators.

6 comments:

Ken Skinner said...

My experience of Texans is that they're some of the most generous people on the planet. They'd give you the gun from their rack if you needed it :-)

THAT WAS A JOKE, OKAY?

My perspective of Texans is somewhat skewed from having only really spent time (18 months!) in Houston. For the most part Houstonians are very nice, but crazy. You can be driving into town along I10, everyone will be nice and sensible then as soon as you hit the city limits people swerve across 6 lanes of traffic, try to rear end you etc.

I think it's all the negative impact of solar energy stored in all that concrete.

But yes, every now and then I make a point of stopping over there to visit friends :-)

Anonymous said...

Well, there is another line, based on the line you mention Sans, that goes like this: "F&#k you, I am from Texas." They make T-shirts and bumperstickers with the line. Great, isn't it?

I like Texas, I live in Texas, but, frankly would love to move somewhere else, like Colorado, Oregon, Northern California... Something like that...

IG

Dave Jacob said...

IG: I'm sure when he's doing it live, Ray sings "F*** you, I'm from Texas" instead.

I live in Indiana. I work in Indianapolis. Ever hear the Bottle Rockets song about Indianapolis? "Is this Hell or Indianapolis?" MSMW and Buddy Guy are playing Indy Jazz Fest tonight, but I'm not gonna go because it'll rain all night.

Kenski: I have nothing about Texas and Texans. But I haven't been in the state in 20 years, and even then, it was to cross the panhandle on the way to Arizona.

It ain't bragging if you can back it up, and SRV, Jimmie Vaughn, the Flatlanders, 13th Floor Elevators, Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, Flaco Jimenez, etc etc etc show they can back it up.

MooPig said...

What if it weren't just a regional thing? I am from Texas, specifically from Houston.

When I go around to places outside of Houston within Texas, I hear a lot of:

"Where you [me] from?" says mechanic in Dime Box, TX.
"I'm from Houston," I reply.
"I hear that's a good place to be from."
Dead silence. I have to shut up, he's working on my car.

Besides RW Hubbard is an Okie from Soper, moved to Oak Cliff TX when he was about ten... I suppose "We're from Soper, Oklahoma; so Screw you..." doesn't have the same alliteration qualities.

Sometimes I think Texas is "wasted on Texians." I have observed from my long happy childhood that all of Texas has been inhabited by the nuveau riche of bad taste. But the music has always been rich and tasty.

Dave Jacob said...

But Lyle Lovett himself says that Texas wants me anyway!

Sammy said...

Isn't there a line about the wind in Texas coming from Texans believing that everything east sucks and everything west blows...or something like that?

Actually, I see the bumper stickers and t-shirts, et al, but in reality, most of the people I've met from Texas are pretty nice. And my limited time spent in Dallas was very nice.

But, I did learn that if you're in Ft. Worth, do NOT say you're in Dallas. People in Escondido are not that sensitive about being thought of as being from San Diego.