Memories of East Texas

And piney green rolling hills

Covered in the springtime

With golden daffodils

Rowing on Sandy Lake come April

Harvesting hay in June

Sitting by the road watching well-fires burn

By an old October moon



I learned to drive on those East Texas red clay backroads

And I mean to tell you my friend

They weren't no easy roads

You had to watch out for all the curves

Down by Kelsey Creek

And detour through the Lindsay's pasture

When the water ran too deep



Memories of East Texas

And Gilmer, county seat of Upshur

Looking back and asking myself

'What the hell'd you let them break your spirit for?'

You know, their lives ran in circles so small

Ah, they thought they'd seen it all

And they could not make a place for a girl who'd seen the ocean



I learned to drive on those East Texas red clay backroads

And I mean to tell you my friend

They weren't no easy roads

You had to watch out for all the curves

Down by Kelsey Creek

And detour through the Lindsay's pasture

When the water ran too deep



Ah, but those memories of East Texas

Those piney green rolling hills

Covered in the springtime

With those wild daffodils

Sitting in those Piney Woods

Playing my guitar

Thinking back on the roads I'd come

Thinking I had not come that far...



I learned to drive on those East Texas red clay backroads

And I mean to tell you my friend

They weren't no easy roads

You had to watch out for all the curves

Down by Kelsey Creek

And detour through the Lindsay's pasture

When the water ran too deep




Lyrics submitted by verryberrygirl

Memories of East Texas song meanings
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2 Comments

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  • 0
    My Opinion

    I like this song very much.

    On the first reading/listening you get a complete view of what East Texas is, but on the second reading/listening, you realize this is more of a "Bildungsroman", a "coming of age" song... "Learning to drive" refers to "learning to live" among people that are not really open-minded.

    pieanneon January 26, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    My total favourite song since it came out ! When I was young and still now, for me it captures that feeling of being a young woman in some province so perfectly, longing to get out of the small-mindedness of her small-town environment. "...You know their lives run in circles so small and they thought they've seen it all, but they could not make a place for a girl who'd seen the ocean."

    Smoothirinaon August 20, 2023   Link

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