'Santa Fe' by Miranda Lambert feat. Parker McCollum – Lyrics & Meaning

Since her blockbuster major label debut, 2005's Kerosene, Miranda Lambert has been a force to be reckoned with in the country music arena.

With a glowing catalogue of Platinum-selling hits, beloved fan-favorites, "he ain't shit" rockers, vulnerable ballads and everything in between, one of the modern queens of country has ushered in a new era with her ninth studio record, Postcards from Texas.

Featuring a string of effective lead singles, like 'Wranglers,' 'Dammit Randy,' 'Alimony' and 'No Man's Land,' the stage has been set for her highly-anticipated 2024 project, which sees the Texas entertainer going back to her roots and donning her signature sass, while also partnering for the first time with Republic Records.

Across the just over a dozen new tunes from the most-decorated artist in ACM history, Postcards from Texas features only one collaboration: 'Santa Fe' with fellow Texan Parker McCollum. Clocking in at a little over three minutes, the calming duet is soaked in nostalgia as our crooners think back on what might have been.

Opening with the serene sonic atmosphere of acoustic and Spanish guitars, a pedal steel and a brushed drum beat, 'Santa Fe' is like taking a load off as you reminisce on the good ole days (before you know they were the good ole days).

From the start, Lambert's vocals are the undeniable focal point as the instrumentation merely serves to amplify her talent, only further underlined with McCollum joins in for the second verse.

Where McCollum usually takes on more of a strong and stark tone with his vocal performances, here we see a much softer and more polished side of him than we're used to as their voices mesh together in perfect harmony.

This pairing isn't too surprising seeing as both of these award-winning artists see most of their offerings produced (and often times written) by the one and only Jon Randall, who is behind the soundboard for the entirety of Postcards from Texas.

"We were standin’ there
In that desert air
Starin’ at the sunset
The little bit that we had left
We just met days before
Leavin’ left us wantin’ more
Man it felt like somethin’
Maybe it was nothin’ but"

Written by Lambert, Jesse Frasure, Jessie Jo Dillon and Dean Dillon – all of whom are decorated tunesmiths in their own right – the song begins with Lambert looking back on what seems to be a night in Santa Fe that remains near and dear to her heart, even though we can assume that much time has passed since then.

Amidst the open and boundless desert with a beautiful sunset putting on a show for them, she explains that she and this mystery man had only met a few days prior to them inevitably having to say goodbye. While they can't say for sure one way or another, both parties were left believing and hoping that maybe their short stint could've been something more if they'd just had more times and less miles between them.

"Santa Fe
Every year September I come back this way
Hangin’ on a memory that won’t ever fade
It lit a fire in me
Are you burnin’ too
All the way in Tennessee
Is it callin’ you
Somethin’ in the fall we may not get it back
We’ll always have
Santa Fe"

We find out that the place where their love blossomed was none other than the song's namesake, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Not able to fully give up the hope and feelings of her mystery could've been lover, Lambert comes back to where it all started every September, hoping that maybe he'd have the same idea and they could give it the ole college try.

Though their time was short, Lambert underpins that she just can't let it go, wondering if he feels the same all the way back in Tennessee. Regardless, she holds onto the truth that even if they'll never get the chance to be together for real and see if it could work, they will always have that fated summer in Santa Fe.

"Now I’m just wanderin’ round
This empty turquoise town
Spanish guitar playin’
Without you ain’t the same out here in"

As McCollum steps up to the mic to deliver the mystery man's perspective, he explains that since their clandestine meeting, he's just been wandering around aimlessly.

In the city that used to be full of warmth, energy and the potential of a larger than life love, now he notes that it's just drowning in turquoise and Spanish guitars playing the same sad songs now that she's gone.

"Santa Fe
Every year September I come back this way
Hangin’ on a memory that won’t ever fade
It lit a fire in me
Are you burnin’ too
All the way in Tennessee
Is it callin’ you
Somethin’ in the fall we may not get it back
We’ll always have
Santa Fe"

While Lambert hasn't explicitly shared anything about 'Santa Fe' in particular, she has explained that Postcards from Texas as a whole serves as a love letter of sorts from her to the listeners.

From commenting on toxic relationships and the need to be free, to more profound sentiments on life and love, the 14-song album is full of lessons learned and words of wisdom.

“There’s a lot of bad decisions on this record, but that’s part of growing up. It’s part of the experience, that human experience is figuring it out. You don’t learn from things going great," she shared in a statement. "Throughout this record, there’s a lot of tenderness and living in the moment of the pain. It’s not glorifying it, but explaining."

We were standin’ there
In that desert air
Starin’ at the sunset
The little bit that we had left
We just met days before
Leavin’ left us wantin’ more
Man it felt like somethin’
Maybe it was nothin’ but

Santa Fe
Every year September I come back this way
Hangin’ on a memory that won’t ever fade
It lit a fire in me
Are you burnin’ too
All the way in Tennessee
Is it callin’ you
Somethin’ in the fall we may not get it back
We’ll always have
Santa Fe

Now I’m just wanderin’ round
This empty turquoise town
Spanish guitar playin’
Without you ain’t the same out here in

Santa Fe
Every year September I come back this way
Hangin’ on a memory that won’t ever fade
It lit a fire in me
Are you burnin’ too
All the way in Tennessee
Is it callin’ you
Somethin’ in the fall we may not get it back
We’ll always have
Santa Fe

Are you burnin’ too
All the way in Tennessee
Is it callin’ you
Somethin’ in the fall we may not get it back
But we’ll always have
Santa Fe
Santa Fe

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