Little Texas – God Blessed Texas

The Album Version Started With The Eyes Of Texas Before Getting Cut

Released on July 17, 1993, “God Blessed Texas” climbed to number four on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in December and peaked at number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Little Texas’ most successful crossover hit. The single debuted at number 75 on the country charts and spent several months climbing before reaching its peak. What makes this Texas pride declaration remarkable is that lead guitarist Porter Howell and keyboardist Brady Seals wrote it specifically to celebrate the state’s unique geography and spirit, and the album version opened with the band performing a brief sample of the University of Texas fight song The Eyes of Texas before launching into the main track, though that intro was edited out for radio and the music video.

The song spent 20 weeks on the Hot Country Songs chart, becoming the band’s signature closer at concerts. It hit number four for three consecutive weeks starting December 4, 1993, blocked from higher positions by Toby Keith’s Should’ve Been a Cowboy and Tracy Lawrence’s Can’t Break It to My Heart. On the Hot 100, it peaked at number 55, higher than any other Little Texas single would ever reach. The track also hit number one on Radio and Records, which used different methodology than Billboard. At a moment when country music was experiencing its young country boom with bands like Alabama and Restless Heart dominating, Little Texas carved out space by combining Texas swagger with tight vocal harmonies. This was the second of three consecutive number one singles on various country charts, following What Might Have Been and preceding My Love.

Porter Howell and Brady Seals wrote the song as a celebration of Texas exceptionalism, with lyrics suggesting God gave special attention to the Lone Star State when creating its legendary geography and diverse population. Tim Rushlow delivered the lead vocal with conviction, singing about seeing places around the world but nothing comparing to Texas. The chorus declares God must have brought down angels from the promised land and gave them a place where they could dance, positioning Texas as something close to heaven itself. The songwriters tapped into genuine Texas pride rather than manufactured sentiment, and the song resonated not just with Texans but with anyone who feels that kind of fierce regional loyalty. The album version included that Eyes of Texas intro as a preparation piece before the band kicked into the main song, creating a connection to University of Texas football culture.

Recording took place during sessions for Big Time with producers James Stroud and Doug Grau at the helm. The six-piece band consisted of Tim Rushlow on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, Porter Howell on lead guitar, Dwayne O’Brien on rhythm guitar, Brady Seals on keyboards and Hammond B-3 organ, Duane Propes on bass, and Del Gray on drums. The production featured that mid-90s Nashville polish with prominent electric guitars, driving rhythms, and layered vocals. Director Gerry Wenner shot the music video at Southfork Ranch in Dallas, the famous location from the television series Dallas. The video featured a pool party with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders making an appearance, cementing the song’s association with Texas iconography. Ford Motor Company later licensed the track for radio and TV advertisements in Texas markets, substituting Ford is the Best in Texas for the original title line.

Big Time arrived in 1993 through Warner Bros. Records and became the band’s commercial breakthrough, eventually earning double platinum certification for sales exceeding two million copies. The album spawned four singles with What Might Have Been reaching number two, God Blessed Texas hitting number four, My Love claiming number one, and Stop on a Dime reaching number 14. This was Little Texas at their peak, the Nashville sextet that formed in 1988 when pairs of musicians converged in Music City. Porter Howell and Duane Propes had been playing together since high school in 1983 before attending Belmont University, while Tim Rushlow and Dwayne O’Brien started performing in Arlington, Texas in 1984. Del Gray and Brady Seals came together through Josh Logan’s backup band. Warner Bros. signed them in 1989 after they’d toured relentlessly to build an audience.

The song achieved remarkable cultural staying power beyond its chart run, becoming a staple at Texas sports venues including Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers games. It appeared in HBO’s True Blood during the second season, and Six Flags Over Texas plays it throughout their Arlington theme park. The track has been streamed over 85 million times on Spotify, introducing it to generations who weren’t born when it originally charted. In July 2023, seven Texas artists including Cody Johnson, Parker McCollum, and Wade Bowen recorded an updated version for the song’s 30th anniversary, with proceeds benefiting the T.J. Dill Jr. Foundation for Fallen Texas Law Enforcement Officers. Little Texas still closes every concert with it, and audiences sing every word. When Brady Seals left the band in 1994 for a solo career, the song remained in the setlist as a testament to its enduring power.

“God Blessed Texas” stands as the ultimate expression of regional pride in 1990s country music, a song that made no apologies for celebrating one state above all others. It proved that specificity resonates more than generic patriotism, that naming the place you love creates stronger emotional connections. The fact that the album version opened with The Eyes of Texas shows how deeply Howell and Seals understood their audience, connecting football culture to country music culture in one seamless gesture. The song became bigger than Little Texas themselves, transforming into an unofficial state anthem that plays whenever Texans gather to celebrate who they are. Sometimes the most powerful songs aren’t about universal themes but about loving one specific place so fiercely that everyone who hears it wishes they felt that way about where they’re from.