While cruising the Texas highways this weekend, I encountered a unique combination of Texas culture that I never really thought of until now.
It involved food, of course.
As Texans, we're proud of many things. Sports teams, for example. Heck, entire sports. Obviously we like to think we do football better than anybody else. But I would propose that we also have a particularly impressive golfing legacy. Food and music certainly rank high on our pride list.
Some people say we're proud of too many things. Or just excessively proud in general.
Well, let me quote Texas troubadour Lyle Lovett on the subject "That's right, you're not from Texas, but Texas wants you anyway."
That brings me to my revelation.
On Friday night, I lucked into seeing Robert Earl Keen at Billy Bob's Texas. It was fantastic. I had a seat front and just right of center. The first time I saw Robert Earl Keen was in 1995, the same day that Texas Tech's Zach Thomas intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown to lead the Red Raiders over Texas A&M.
I know that seems like a superfluous mention of one of the great moments in Texas Tech football history, but it sort of applies. You see, Robert Earl Keen attended Texas A&M and was neighbors and friends with Lyle Lovett.
OK, it's mostly a superfluous mention of Texas Tech football greatness.
Anyway, Keen often regales his audience with stories of himself and Lovett in College Station. On Friday, he spoke of how they used to harass the folks at the Presbyterian church across the street and how they played bluegrass music and how they co-wrote "Front Porch Song," which he performed.
"Front Porch Song" includes the line "This old porch is a steamin' greasy plate of enchiladas with lots of cheese and onions and a guacamole salad."
That might be the most delicious line in the history of country music.
But they didn't stop there. In fact, that was the epiphany I had while driving and listening to a Keen album called "Picnic." Both Lovett and Keen continued to slip food references into their songs.
In his song "Church," Lovett sings "To the Lord, let praises be. It's time for dinner, now let's go eat. We've got some beans and some good cornbread. And I listened to what the preacher said. It's to the Lord let presses be, It's time for dinner now let's go eat."
And in his sad, cheating ballad "Nobody Knows Me," Lovett opens with the line "I like cream in my coffee and I like to sleep late on Sunday. And nobody knows me like my baby. I like eggs over easy and flour tortillas. And nobody knows me like my baby."
Not to be outdone by his buddy, Keen wrote an entire song about barbecue. My favorite lyric is the first line of the chorus "Barbecue, sliced beef and bread, ribs and sausage and a cold Big Red." It's also why I insisted on drinking Big Red with barbecue for a while when I was younger and more inclined to that type of thing.
The song that made me realize this connection on Saturday was Keen's song "Then Came Lo Mein," which is a breaking-up song set in a Chinese food cafe. For my money, it doesn't get any better than "Then came lo mien and going insane at the Chinese cafe way downtown. I was steamed, I was fried, but you stood by my side when I had my nervous breakdown."
I can't improve on that. So this blog is over, except for …
One more bite: The plate of food in the picture with this blog is migas with chorizo from Yogi's Bagel Cafe in Fort Worth, where I had breakfast on Saturday.
