I was eight years old And running with a dime in my hand To the bus stop to pick Up a paper for my old man I’d sit on his lap in that big old Buick And steer as we drove through town He’d tousle my hair And say, “son, take a good look around” This is your hometown This is your hometown This is your hometown This is your hometown”
In ’65 tension was running high At my high school There was a lot of fights Between the black and white There was nothing you could do Two cars at a light on a Saturday night In the back seat there was a gun Words were passed in a shotgun blast Troubled times had come To my hometown To my hometown To my hometown To my hometown
Now Main Street’s whitewashed windows And vacant stores Seems like there ain’t nobody Wants to come down here no more They’re closing down the textile mill Across the railroad tracks Foreman says, “these jobs are going, boys And they ain’t coming back To your hometown To your hometown To your hometown To your hometown”
Last night me and Kate we laid in bed Talking about getting out Packing up our bags, maybe heading south I’m thirty-five, we got a boy of our own now Last night I sat him up behind the wheel And said, “son, take a good look around This is your hometown”
In this proud land we grew up strong We were wanted all along I was taught to fight, taught to win I never thought I could fail
No fight left or so it seems I am a man whose dreams have all deserted I’ve changed my face, I’ve changed my name But no one wants you when you lose
Don’t give up ‘Cause you have friends Don’t give up You’re not beaten yet Don’t give up I know you can make it good
Though I saw it all around Never thought I could be affected Thought that we’d be last to go It is so strange the way things turn
Drove the night toward my home The place that I was born, on the lakeside As daylight broke, I saw the earth The trees had burned down to the ground
Don’t give up You still have us Don’t give up We don’t need much of anything Don’t give up ‘Cause somewhere there’s a place Where we belong
Rest your head You worry too much It’s going to be alright When times get rough You can fall back on us Don’t give up Please don’t give up
Got to walk out of here I can’t take anymore Gonna stand on that bridge Keep my eyes down below Whatever may come And whatever may go That river’s flowing That river’s flowing
Moved on to another town Tried hard to settle down For every job, so many men So many men no-one needs
Don’t give up ‘Cause you have friends Don’t give up You’re not the only one Don’t give up No reason to be ashamed Don’t give up You still have us Don’t give up now We’re proud of who you are Don’t give up You know it’s never been easy Don’t give up ‘Cause I believe there’s a place There’s a place where we belong
Official Video for “Choosin’ Texas” by Ella Langley out now: https://ellalangley.lnk.to/choosintexas Pre-Save ‘Dandelion’ out April 10: https://ellalangley.lnk.to/dandelion Follow Ella Langley / ellalangleymusic1 / ellalangleymusic https://x.com/ellalangleymsic / ellalangleymusic https://ellalangley.com/ Text for updates: +1 (334) 490-9919 Follow for updates: / ellalangleyhq CREDITS: Directors: Wales Toney, Ella Langley, Caylee Robillard @walesyt @cayleerobillard Creative Director: Caylee Robillard Production Company: Whale Tale Music @whaletalemusic Producer: Lukas Lennon @lukaslennon / @turtelvis Producer: Troy Jackson @troyjacksonfilm Executive Producer: Wales Toney Executive Producer: Megan Hinde Executive Producer: Davis Danziger Production Supervisor: Madeleine L. Beck @madeleinelbeck Production Manager: Seehum Isa @seehumisa 1st AD: Anthony Milton @the_milton 2nd AD: Kais Mars Director of Photography: Dylan Rucker @dylanrucker_dop 1st AC: Matthew Bellamy @matthew.bellamy 2nd AC: Joseph Alford @joseph_alford SteadiCam: Daniel Vorlet @danielvorlet Camera B Operator: Andrew Czap @andrewczap 1st AC (B Unit): Sean Anderson @seanpanderson VTR: Evan Cudd @atomicvideodfw Audio Mixer: Codi Putnam Boom Operator: Aaron Payton Gaffer: Ryan Serr @rserr18 Best Boy Electric: Chris Gonzales Electric: Joe Bannister Key Grip: Matt Shanahan Best Boy Grip: Kevin Whitlow Grip: Khary Means Craft Services: Nina Estrada @ninaestradamusic Craft Services Asst: Macie Anderson @macievictoria Talent Coordinator: Megan Koym Talent PA: Brianna Brasher Trucking PA: Kyle McCoy Set PA’S: Kaylee Janowski , Eve Kroh, Grace Maddox, Lisandra Montes, Adi Sankaramanchi, Ayron Walker, Claudio Torres, Amanda Villatoro, James Rodriguez EL HMU: Chris Bear @chrisbearmakeup ML Hair: Davy Newkirk ML Makeup: Moani Lee LG Groomer: Tim Muir AP Hair: Anna Sullivan @annasullivanhair AP Makeup: Alex French KB HMU: Nashaira Vega EL Stylist: Stefani Colvin EL Stylist Asst: Atlantis Ray Roberts EL Personal Asst: Ainsley Barousse @ainsleybarousse ML Stylist: Alexandra Karalash LG Stylist: Evan Simonitsch AP Stylist: Carolina Hernandez Production Designer: Lauren Lamb @itslauralamb Leadman: Nathan Dalton @59nathaniel Set Decorator: Sami Sloane @samantharoseslone Set Dresser: Tony Gomez @stonygomez Graphic Designer: Rocío Ramirez Head Carpenter: David Jeter Carpenter Assist: Joshua Jeter Medic: Abbie Gallas Motorhomes: Sheryl Dugan, Michael Manzo, Blake Windham, Chris Bennett, Ray Courtin, Kayley Bennet Security: Trinity Protection / Cristi Nash Location: Stagecoach Ballroom / Julia Paur CAST: Self: Ella Langley Saloon Singer: Miranda Lambert Boyfriend: Luke Grimes Boyfriend’s Ex: Ava Phillippe Old Friend: Kaitlin Butts Cowboys: JB Mauney, Tyson Durfey, Shad Mayfield, Leighton Berry, Dale Brisby Cowgirl: Shea Fisher Durfey Bar Patrons: Tanner Ursey, Mike Ryan, Casey Donahew Pool Shark: Wade Bowen Bartender: Melinda Donahew Band: Ben Flanders, Alex Kidd, Rye Jackson, Howard Nunnelly, Jeff Adamcyzk Young Luke: Maximilan McCoy Young Ava: Ella Reese Milks Honkytonkers: Aggie Wranglers @aggiewranglers Bar Extras: Morgan Rabren, Austin Rabren, Madeline Maxwell, Katie Langley, Heather Langley, Clayton Crum, Hunter Baker, Wyatt Neisemier, Travis Webb, Ethen Andrews, Seth Greiner, Dixon Ponce, David Roberts, Austin Olysovsky, Connor Mahlstedt, Michael McCord, Jack Gray, Nick Trevino, Austin Comte, Ashlyn Galzay, Riley Tomasino, Harper Wolf, Haley Ponce, Courtney Miller, Madison Hudson, Scout Skaggs, Alexis Ostigin, Sydney Martin, Erica Mehlberger, Kayla West, Melbourn Roberts, Browen Shroeder, Caroline Clawson, Bridget Lopez, Jenna Hanson, Antony Mathew, Atzenhofer Grayson, Benjamin Bunkley, Isabella Cainas, Stuart Crow, John Daniel, Lacy Dewitt, Caroline Eads, Annie Garder, Cody Garrett, Brian Goetze, Susan Gray, Elena Guilbeau, Lauren Guthrie, Wesley Hearn, Giovanna Hnath, Jaden Holbrook, Robin Kidd, Alisha Lafave, Samuel Laird, Grant Lewis, Brandon Lopez, Stephanie Lynch, Carrie Lyssy, Naomi McDowell, Lindsay Menz, Emma Morris, Amanda Nivens, Alanna Page, Leonardo Perez, Luis Salas, Travis Seago, Megan Smillie, Annie Vaughan, Delilah Watson, Michelle Winters, Jeremy Wright, Isabella Breedlove, Rachael Owens, Caden Pachla, McKinley Mouton, Zach Glover, Jacob Barnett Columbia Creative Commissioner: Jill Kaplan Dialogue Written By Marc Cotter, Joe Billela @marccotter @bilellaphone Editor: Wales Toney Colorist: Brian Charles @brianchrls Color Producer: Chelsea Eisen Sound Design: Ayoudouson @ayodouson Sound Producer: Sean Carroll Special Thanks: Fort Worth Film Commission, The City of Fort Worth, Stagecoach Ballroom, Shea Durfey, Melinda Donahew, Julia Paur, Jean Czajkowski-Desai & all the locals that made us feel so welcomed. #EllaLangley#ChoosinTexas#Dandelion
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