Plenty of people dream about leaving their small town for a new life, and just as many people never do. Somewhere in this in-between is a wistful and nostalgic collection of country songs that describe the desire to pack up, ditch the small-town life, and experience a bigger, better world. These songs capitalize on our desire to daydream about new experiences without entirely alienating the people who stay.
Here are three great country songs about leaving town for a new life that even people who are still living in small towns love.
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“Wide Open Spaces” by The Chicks
No one captured country-fied whimsy in the 1990s quite like The Chicks, formerly known as the Dixie Chicks. Their major label debut’s title track, “Wide Open Spaces”, encapsulated that restless feeling that often comes with dreaming about a different life in a bigger, faster town while still going about your day-to-day business somewhere with a population in the four (or even three) digit range.
“She needs wide open spaces / room to make her big mistakes / She needs new faces / She knows the high stakes.”
“Born To Fly” by Sara Evans
Sara Evans’ 2000 track, “Born To Fly”, was every small-town girl’s anthem in the Y2K era. It’s hopeful, courageous, and inspiring. The song paints a picture of a young girl living in a tiny country town with two parents she loves, but who she knows would never embark on an adventure like the one she’s after.
“Oh, how do you wait for heaven? / And who has that much time? / And how do you keep your feet on the ground when you know / that you were born, you were born to fly?”
“Ramblin’ Man” by Allman Brothers Band
While “Ramblin’ Man” might be the most rock-centric song on this list of country songs about small towns, considering it’s the most country-centric of The Allman Brothers Band’s repertoire, we’d say it still counts. Besides, anyone who has lived in a small town for any great length of time can relate to the rambling feelings Dickey Betts is singing about.
“Lord, I was born a ramblin’ man / Trying to make a livin’ and doin’ the best I can / And when it’s time for leaving, I hope you’ll understand / That I was born a ramblin’ man.”
Photo by NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
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