'George F****** Strait' by Laci Kaye Booth - Lyrics & Meaning

'George F****** Strait' is the follow up to Laci Kaye Booth's 'Daddy's Mugshot' from March 2025 and comes off the back of last year's The Loneliest Girl In The World album.

When she played the song live for the first time at Morgan Wallen's Sand In My Boots festival, it coincided with the Texas legend's birthday.

"I think it's kinda ironic it's on George Strait's birthday," Booth told the audience. "Cos it's called 'George F****** Strait.'"

Laci Kaye Booth was originally a contestant on Season 17 of American Idol in 2019, making a big impression during her time on the show, covering songs by artists like Brett Young and Miranda Lambert, and ultimately finishing in the Top 5.

After American Idol, she moved to Nashville and worked on her unique blend of "dreamy country" music, citing a diverse range of influences that included George Strait, as well as Stevie Nicks, Merle Haggard, Lana Del Rey, Lee Ann Womack, and Norah Jones.

The song is a melancholic, country-tinged downer anthem with a moody, reverb heavy, cinematic feel that brings to mind Lana Del Rey, Mazzy Star, the film scores of Angelo Badalamenti and the weirder bits of Kacey Musgraves.

Laci Kaye Booth proves once again that she is the absolute queen when it comes to a certain kind of effortlessly cool country pop, perfectly written for soundtracking the pre-apocalypse.

Must be Texas
The way he’s walking

Laci Kaye Booth sees a man and can tell just from the way he is walking that he must be from her home state Texas. Although there isn't necessarily a distinct way that people from Texas walk that's unique from other places, it's likely that the singer is referring to the so-called "Texas Swagger" that people from the Lone Star State are often said to have. Walking with a perceived confidence, boldness, and a pride associated with Texans and their state. It's often used admiringly, acknowledging the state's unique identity and often oversized self-perception.

However, there are also specific rules and regulations regarding pedestrian safety in Texas, particularly concerning where and how pedestrians should walk, especially when sidewalks are not available, so it could be that Laci Kaye Booth is also referring to road safety, which, even if you have "Texas Swagger," it's important to adhere to.

Tall drink of water in ten gallon hat

The Oxford English Dictionary defines a "tall drink of water" as being someone who is “a tall, slim, long-limbed person.” It usually refers to a tall and attractive person. When someone says someone is a “tall drink of water” or “long drink of water” it's usually meant in a complimentary way to suggest they are physically appealing; being slim, tall, long-legged and subjectively beautiful.

Long legs are often associated with good health and fitness, and many studies suggest that women find men with longer legs more attractive, particularly when the legs are slightly longer than average. Research indicates that a leg length that's slightly longer than average, around 5% longer, is considered most appealing.Excessively long legs, however, can be perceived as less attractive.

The "ten gallon hat" in the song refers to a style of hat with a high crown popularized by cowboys. The name likely arose from the Spanish word "galón," meaning braid. Some suggest that the Spanish phrase "tan galán," which translates to "very handsome," could have influenced the term.

The song playfully associates two units of liquid measurement - the "tall drink of water" and the "ten gallon hat" - together in the lyrics.

Faded ring
on his pocket
Can’t mind my business when he’s lookin like that

The faded ring on his pocket presumably refers to a mark of wear in the denim of his jeans, most likely from a Copenhagen chewing tobacco or snuff tin, which is popular with cowboys; Chris LeDoux, a real life singing rodeo man, even had a song dedicated to it.

Laci Kaye Booth finds it hard to resist men who look like this and plays on the phrase, "They don't make them like they used to,” which usually refers to how sturdy and well-made things were in the old days. In this instance, Booth is pleased to see that they do in fact make them like they used to.

Boy they still make em Just like they used to
He got them manners
Of a southern Baptist saint

He is well mannered, displaying a reverence for elders and church leaders, and a commitment to biblical principles.

He got a wrench
I got a screw loose

He has a tool used for applying torque to turn or loosen nuts and bolts which suggests he is interested in DIY and good with his hands.

According to a study by Marie Claire magazine, almost two thirds of women prefer 'handy men' and a shocking 34% admit that they are likely to stray for a man who knows his way around a toolbox. Shockingly, in the fictional character showdown that the magazine surveyed, Bob the Builder managed to beat both James Bond and the Diet Coke Man.

If you say that someone has a screw loose, you mean that they behave in a strange way and seem slightly mentally ill, but Laci Kaye Booth is using this in a playful light hearted manner and suggesting that this man could help her fix herself.

He got me buckin right out the starting gate

At a rodeo, each competitor climbs onto a horse, which is held in a small pipe or wooden enclosure called a bucking chute. When the rider is ready, the starting gate of the bucking chute is opened and the horse bursts out and begins to buck. Laci Kaye Booth uses this metaphor to display how excited she is about this man from the outset.

Lord if I can’t have em
I’ll get on my knees and pray God give me a man
That just gets better with age

If Laci Kaye Booth is unable to begin a relationship, potentially a sexual one, with this man then she is willing to look for divine intervention.

She wants a partner who gets "better" as he gets older. Many men report feeling more confident and satisfied with their appearance as they age, and whole there are obvious physical changes associated with aging, many men find that their sense of self and overall confidence can increase with experience and maturity.

As men age, they often develop a clearer sense of purpose and direction in life, which can contribute to a greater sense of self-worth. Indeed some studies suggest that life satisfaction for many men increases as they age, with a peak in happiness often occurring later in life.

For Laci Kaye Booth this "man that just gets better with age" is exemplified by the 73-year-old Texas country star George Strait.

Like George f****** Strait

Come by it honest
How I pick em
It’s in my roots
That I want em in boots

Raised in a barn in Livingston, TX, Laci Kaye Booth suggests that it's because of her upbringing that she is attracted to men with a "cowboy masculinity," often portrayed in American Westerns and popular culture, encompassing a set of idealized traits and beliefs associated with the cowboy figure, including strength, independence, stoicism, and a rugged, self-reliant spirit.

However, this ideal has also been critiqued for its association with toxic masculinity, such as emotional repression and a lack of vulnerability. Modern Westerns are increasingly exploring these complexities, challenging traditional gender norms and redefining masculinity

Tie me up
I got a problem
And I know just the kinda Lasso he can use

Booth wants her prospective partner to tie her up with his lasso, indicating that she has "a problem" with this sort of sexual kink but enjoys it regardless. BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism, masochism) is a type of sexual practice where one partner shows obedience to the dominant partner's actions and wishes. This involves pleasure that a partner may feel from either inflicting pain (sadism) or receiving pain (masochism) – either physical or emotional.

I’ve loved a lot of cowboys
In my daddy issue phase
God give me a man
That just gets better with age

Laci Kaye Booth admits she has a predilection for a certain type of man and suggests it may have been particularly prevalent during her "daddy issue phase."

"Daddy issues" is a term often used to describe patterns of behavior in relationships that are believed to stem from a problematic or absent relationship with a father or father figure. It's not a clinical diagnosis but rather a colloquial term often used, particularly by women, to describe challenges in romantic relationships or difficulties trusting men.

This has an added layer given that Laci Kaye Booth's father is Texas country singer Jody Booth who greatly influenced her decision to pursue music full-time, and who her previous single, 'Daddy's Mugshot,' was dedicated to.

“My very first concert was George Strait, the nosebleed seats at Houston Livestock show and rodeo,” recalls Laci Kaye Booth. “The majority of his music I’ve known by heart since I was a little girl. This song is about admiring and loving a cowboy as he ages, with the prime example being the King of Country music, the Troubadour himself.”

Addressing the explicit nature of the lyrics, Laci Kaye Booth jokingly said, "My Momma didn’t wash my mouth out with soap enough I guess."

"You know my one concern with this song?" she posted on TikTok in response to a user named Anita Hall138 who commented "King George would not approve especially using those curse words," saying she herself had been worried about her grandma's reaction to the song. "I told my mom, I said 'What's mawmaw gonna think? Because, you know, this song is not for the grannies. Maybe the cool ones, but I said, 'Is she gonna have a heart attack?' Cos she's got church friends and she goes to church and all that."

"And my mum said, 'I already told your mawmaw, and you know what she said?'" and mawmaw said, "Baby, I do not give a rat's arse what my church friends say. I am proud of my grandbaby.'"

"So if mawmaw don't give a rat's arse, I don't really give a rat's arse what anybody's saying about it, but with that being said, I am having a clean version coming out for the grannies and the babies."

Must be Texas
The way he’s walking

Tall drink of water in ten gallon hat

Faded ring
on his pocket
Can’t mind my business when he’s lookin like that

Boy they still make em Just like they used to
He got them manners
Of a southern Baptist saint

He got a wrench
I got a screw loose
He got me buckin right out the starting gate

Lord if I can’t have em
I’ll get on my knees and pray God give me a man
That just gets better with age

Like George f****** Strait

Come by it honest
How I pick em
It’s in my roots
That I want em in boots

Tie me up
I got a problem
And I know just the kinda Lasso he can use

Lord if I can’t have em
I’ll get on my knees and pray God give me a man
That just gets better with age

I’ve loved a lot of cowboys
In my daddy issue phase
God give me a man
That just gets better with age

Like George f****** Strait

My George F****** Strait

~~

For more on Laci Kaye Booth, see below: