“Ain’t No Trucks in Texas”
Ronnie Dunn
Written by Tony Martin, Wendell Mobley and Neil Thrasher
With Texas as its central point, Dunn takes a pass at expressing his indifference toward an ex by using anti-factual details of common Texas tropes. “There ain’t no trucks in Texas/ No football in the south.”, all of which illustrates that, in fact, he is not indifferent to the break up after all.
Since it is the most prominent example of doing this sort of counterfactual wordplay so well, it is nearly impossible to avoid using George Strait’s 1988 single “Ocean Front Property” as an obvious comparison to Dunn’s “Ain’t No Trucks in Texas.”
It is okay that this song doesn’t tread any new ground. Strait’s song was not even the first to employ this tactic. But since it is the iconic example, it takes a lot to live up to it, which Dunn does not manage to do here. Perhaps it’s the louder production and/or Dunn’s less nuanced vocal delivery, but “Trucks” lacks the basic charm and subtle vulnerability of “Ocean Front Property.”
There is not anything specifically offensive about it. The most damaging thing to the song is its blandness. It lacks the earworm hook of “Ocean Front Property,” and as a result, it is simply boring.
Grade: C
Can’t argue with your grade. Another song with a similar theme, Rhonda Vincent’s “I’ve Forgotten You” (Brett James, Hillary Lindsey, Troy Verges & Angelo Petraglia). “If I lie enough it might come true, I’ve forgotten you.”
I totally disagree with the sentiment towards this song here.
Yes it’s commercial but Dunn’s new label Nash Icon isn’t about ignoring radio. And if this is going to get Dunn back on the radio in a way that “I Wish I Still Smoked Cigarettes” – great as it was – didn’t, then I’m all for it.
A song CAN just be hooky, and entertaining.