'Blame Texas' by Cody Johnson – Lyrics & Meaning

If we know anything about Cody Johnson, it's that he loves Texas. The country superstar has always been loud and proud about his commitment to his home, his catalogue brimming with odes to the Lone Star State that raised him. Today, he's adding one more to that repertoire.

As the 'Dirt Cheap' star's first solo release of 2026, 'Blame Texas' comes out swinging, the hell-fired anthem not holding back when it comes to his pride and faith in good ole Texas.

The song showcases the artist's state-sized loyalty boldly and unabashedly, while also proving that such devotion doesn't quite extend into other aspects of his life.

'Blame Texas' is Cody Johnson through and through. Coming to life with a neon-tinted swagger, the song features the very best of the hitmaker's vocal power and acts as the perfect foil for his electrifying showmanship.

The entire number is a rollicking Texa-fied anthem, led by a calculated beat and intuitive strings from start to finish. It's the addition of the searing electrics and incisive fiddle flourishes, though, that make this tune such a thrilling listen.

"If I chase my tequila with an ice cold beer,
Blame Texas.
If I swear there ain't no better place than here,
Blame Texas."

According to this new number, Cody Johnson is a product of his raising, the star forever shaped by his environment and the people around him.

He likes what he likes, wants what he wants, talks how he talks all thanks to the great state of Texas. He blames his home for everything from the beer he drinks to the way he thinks, but there's one thing he can't blame on his surroundings: his love life. Or lack thereof.

"But if you wonder why she packed all her things
Left me back here alone in the Lone Star State,
Yeah, I messed up a good thing again.
Guess I just can't help it.
She loved the wide open skies.
No, she didn't want to leave.
Did her wrong, now she's gone,
And it's all on me.
Comin' back, no she ain't.
Wish I could, but I can't blame Texas."

Come the chorus, he laments of a love lost, the artist revealing that, while he had a lover who was perfect for him – she, too, loved Texas and didn't want to leave – he pushed her away.

Very little is revealed about the relationship's end, just that he "Did her wrong, now she's gone / And it's all on me." And for that, he can't place blame his rearing.

Texas may have made him an outlaw and a restless sort. It may have forever fused a cowboy hat to his head and informed his penchant for hard work, but, according to him, it had little hand in his ability to keep a love alive.

"I like a Shiner Bock longneck and Sunday Cowboy football," he ultimately sings come the bridge. "And I can hold my own on a pissed off bull, but I can't hold onto a woman at all."

"So if you wonder why she packed all her things
Left me back here alone in the Lone Star State,
Yeah, I messed up a good thing again.
Guess I just can't help it.
She loved the wide open skies.
No, she didn't want to leave.
Did her wrong, now she's gone,
And it's all on me.
Comin' back, no she ain't.
Wish I could, but I can't blame Texas."

If I chase my tequila with an ice cold beer,
Blame Texas.
If I swear there ain't no better place than here,
Blame Texas.

If you think I say a few words wrong,
And find a way to put a fiddle in every song,
If I take George Strait over Elvis,
Blame Texas.

But if you wonder why she packed all her things
Left me back here alone in the Lone Star State,
Yeah, I messed up a good thing again.
Guess I just can't help it.
She loved the wide open skies.
No, she didn't want to leave.
Did her wrong, now she's gone,
And it's all on me.
Comin' back, no she ain't.
Wish I could, but I can't blame Texas.

If I got a little outlaw in my blood,
Blame Texas.
If all my settle downs are out on the road,
Blame Texas.

If you always see me out in my cowboy hat,
A little red on my neck and some sweat on my back,
If I ain't the kinda mess to mess with,
Blame Texas.

So if you wonder why she packed all her things
Left me back here alone in the Lone Star State,
Yeah, I messed up a good thing again.
Guess I just can't help it.
She loved the wide open skies.
No, she didn't want to leave.
Did her wrong, now she's gone,
And it's all on me.
Comin' back, no she ain't.
Wish I could, but I can't blame Texas.

I like a Shiner Bock longneck and Sunday Cowboy football.
And I can hold my own on a pissed off bull, but I can't hold onto a woman at all.

So if you wonder why she packed all her things
Left me back here alone in the Lone Star State,
Yeah, I messed up a good thing again.
Guess I just can't help it.
She loved the wide open skies.
No, she didn't want to leave.
Did her wrong, now she's gone,
And it's all on me.
Comin' back, no she ain't.
Wish I could, but I can't blame Texas.

Comin' back, no she ain't.
Wish I could, but I can't blame Texas.

God bless Texas.

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For more on Cody Johnson, see below:

Cody Johnson

Artist