The five best lyrics from English Teacher’s debut album ‘This Could Be Texas’
There is something in this modern age to be said for moments. It feels as though we have been robbed of them slightly. Thanks to the internet and social media, and the fact that we have constant access to absolutely everything whenever we want it, the idea of being able to live in the moment and experience things as they happen is difficult. Pictures get retaken, songs become trends, and people enjoying 15 minutes of fame accept brand deals and do club appearances. It is hard to experience a moment without it lingering or feeling insincere, so when they come, they must be grabbed with both hands.
On April 12th, 2024, English Teacher released their debut album, This Could Be Texas. It felt like a really genuine moment in music, with people texting friends and telling them to stop what they were doing to listen to this album. Expectations were already pretty high thanks to the strength of singles such as ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’ and ‘Albert Road’, but the album’s final version exceeded everything all were waiting for it.
The album has since been nominated for a Mercury Award and has seen the band perform to sold-out crowds up and down the country. It’s a perfect blend of indie rock with intricate basslines, catchy choruses, and gorgeous vocals, making it one of the best listens of the year.
One of the stand-out features on the album, however, is the lyricism. With lines both sung and spoken, each track on the record is pure poetry back and forth. Each line could be picked apart, analysed and recognised as beautiful. The kind of material that tattoo artists rinse for quotes and the poetically inclined would pay to have etched on their skin. This article will look at five stand-out lyrics from English Teacher’s stunning debut, This Could Be Texas.
English Teacher’s five best lyrics:
‘Albert Road’
“But don’t take their prejudice to heart
They hate everyone
The world around them never showed
How loving can be fun”.
Every line from the album’s closing track, ‘Albert Road,’ could be featured on this list. Primarily made up of spoken word with hints of melody laced in them, the band talk about a walk home from the pub and clashing mindsets. While every lyric is wonderful, the repeated four lines in the chorus stand out.
Their emphasis changes throughout the track, going from gently sung at the beginning to borderline screamed at the end. We are told to look the other way when confronted with those we might disagree with, but the frustration buried within this statement protrudes towards the song’s end.
‘You Blister My Paint’
“I dreamt about the kiss
Every night so far this week and
I hope I don’t tonight
I hope I break the streak”.
A song about loss with hints of desperation. The pain entrenched within the vocals of this track is unrelenting as the song touches upon having feelings for someone who doesn’t reciprocate them except occasionally.
The above line perfectly summarises the frustration that comes with these feelings, as feeble attempts to shake emotions from our brains prove futile. The closing line is blunt and to the point, proclaiming, “You’re so hot, then you leave me”.
‘This Could Be Texas’
“That’s the wisdom of the crowds
The more the merrier
Ignore the farmer and his pitchfork
Walk through the heather”.
While the album touches upon a range of different themes, the titular track is supposedly about the difficulties of writing it. The struggles surrounding making music in the modern age are beautifully written out in this song, with both sincerity and humour.
In the chosen line, Lily Fontaine references the website Pitchfork. This is likely a reference to all music sites, not just them, but the sentiment remains that even if reviews about the album aren’t great, so long as they’re happy with it, that’s should be all that matters.
‘R&B’
“I’ve been writing R&B for you
I’ve been making you a tea
Before you know it’s what you need
Tell me, is it too sweet for you?”
Many of the lyrics covered in this piece so far are delivered incredibly gently or via spoken word. ‘R&B’ shows that even when the band tries to make something catchy that crowds can sing along to, they don’t sacrifice lyrical prowess to do it.
What is one of the more memorable tracks talks about love and the struggle of a writer trying to find a muse? The double meaning in writing R&B and making tea, both of which are actions that seem sweet, is a lovely turn of phrase and an example of exceptional songwriting.
‘Sideboob’
“You take every sunset
And somehow make it sexier”.
To the point, a bit of humour, and endlessly lovely—those words can apply to this line and the album as a whole. The wholesome simplicity within those two lines perfectly sums up everything that makes this album such a standout and highlights why English Teachers are a must-listen.
Pair that with the fact that the spoken word passage these words find themselves in is backed with shimmering strings and a smooth bassline; it’s about as close as you can get to a perfect piece of music.
