All My Ex's Live in Texas - Misplaced Pages

"All My Ex's Live in Texas" is a song written by Sanger D. Shafer and Lyndia J. Shafer, and recorded by American country music singer George Strait. It was released in April 1987 as the second single from Strait's album Ocean Front Property. "All My Ex's Live In Texas" was nominated for Best Male Country Vocal Performance at the 1988 Grammy Awards.

A version of the song recorded by its co-author Sanger D. Shafer appeared in the film Road House, the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and TV show Ash vs Evil Dead. Rapper Drake mentions the song in his single "HYFR".

The song "Tip Your Bartender" by New York post-hardcore band Glassjaw, contains the lyric: "All my ex's live with hexes."

The format of the song is that of a list song.

Content

The narrator explains that he had lived most of his life in Texas along the Frio River (Brazos River in Shafer's original recording, Colorado River in his later performances), but that a string of failed relationships with women in that state that ended disastrously (such as going insane, sending the law after him and walking out before the honeymoon) prompted him to flee to Tennessee; he still relives his more pleasant times in Texas by way of Transcendental Meditation each night. The song is known for its Western Swing style rhythm.

Cover versions

Country music singer Jack Ingram covered the song from the television special George Strait: ACM Artist of the Decade All Star Concert.

Critical reception

"All My Ex's Live in Texas" is widely regarded as one of Strait's best songs. Billboard and American Songwriter ranked the song number two and number five, respectively, on their lists of the 10 greatest George Strait songs.

Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave the song a B+ grade, saying that "you can almost hear the guy smirking as he sings this swinging hit, running down a list of jilted lovers from all over the Lone Star state."

Charts

Chart (1987)	Peak position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)	1
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)	1

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)	Platinum	1,000,000
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

"George Strait, Troubadour". Country Universe. December 3, 2008. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
Weiner, Natalie (May 18, 2022). "Best George Strait Songs: 20 Country Anthems". uDiscoverMusic. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
Tomlin, Edward (August 10, 2024). "10 Best George Strait Songs of All Time". Singersroom. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
"All My Ex's Live in Texas". BMI Repertoire. BMI.
Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Box Set) - Original Game Soundtrack". AllMusic. Retrieved May 28, 2008.
Dauphin, Chuck (June 27, 2017). "George Strait's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
Walthall, Catherine (December 28, 2021). "The Top 10 George Strait Songs". American Songwriter. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
Coyne, Kevin John (May 28, 2012). "Retro Single Review: George Strait, 'All My Ex's Live in Texas'". Country Universe.
Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 336.
"George Strait Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
"American single certifications – George Strait – All My Ex's Live in Texas". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 25, 2021.

External links

George Strait - All My Ex's Live in Texas on YouTube

v t e George Strait singles
Albums Singles Ace in the Hole Band The Cowboy Rides Away Tour
1980s	"Unwound" "Down and Out" "If You're Thinking You Want a Stranger (There's One Coming Home)" "Fool Hearted Memory" "Marina del Rey" "Amarillo by Morning" "A Fire I Can't Put Out" "You Look So Good in Love" "Right or Wrong" "Let's Fall to Pieces Together" "Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind" "The Cowboy Rides Away" "The Fireman" "The Chair" "You're Something Special to Me" "Nobody in His Right Mind Would've Left Her" "It Ain't Cool to Be Crazy About You" "Ocean Front Property" "All My Ex's Live in Texas" "Am I Blue" "Famous Last Words of a Fool" "Baby Blue" "If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin')" "Baby's Gotten Good at Goodbye" "What's Going On in Your World" "Ace in the Hole" "Overnight Success"
1990s	"Love Without End, Amen" "Drinking Champagne" "I've Come to Expect It from You" "If I Know Me" "You Know Me Better Than That" "The Chill of an Early Fall" "Lovesick Blues" "Gone as a Girl Can Get" "So Much Like My Dad" "I Cross My Heart" "Heartland" "When Did You Stop Loving Me" "Easy Come, Easy Go" "I'd Like to Have That One Back" "Lovebug" "The Man in Love with You" "The Big One" "You Can't Make a Heart Love Somebody" "Adalida" "Lead On" "Check Yes or No" "I Know She Still Loves Me" "Blue Clear Sky" "Carried Away" "I Can Still Make Cheyenne" "King of the Mountain" "One Night at a Time" "Carrying Your Love with Me" "Today My World Slipped Away" "Round About Way" "I Just Want to Dance with You" "True" "We Really Shouldn't Be Doing This" "Meanwhile" "Write This Down" "What Do You Say to That"
2000s	"The Best Day" "Go On" "Don't Make Me Come Over There and Love You" "If You Can Do Anything Else" "Run" "Living and Living Well" "She'll Leave You with a Smile" "Tell Me Something Bad About Tulsa" "Cowboys Like Us" "Desperately" "I Hate Everything" "You'll Be There" "She Let Herself Go" "The Seashores of Old Mexico" "Give It Away" "It Just Comes Natural" "Wrapped" "How 'bout Them Cowgirls" "I Saw God Today" "Troubadour" "River of Love" "Living for the Night" "Twang"
2010s	"I Gotta Get to You" "The Breath You Take" "Here for a Good Time" "Love's Gonna Make It Alright" "Drinkin' Man" "Give It All We Got Tonight" "I Believe" "I Got a Car" "Let It Go" "Cold Beer Conversation" "Every Little Honky Tonk Bar"
Other songs	"Murder on Music Row" (w/ Alan Jackson) "Hey, Good Lookin'" (w/ Jimmy Buffett, Clint Black, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson and Toby Keith) "Shiftwork" (w/ Kenny Chesney) "Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven"

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