Dale Watson has recorded a whopping twenty-nine albums over the last two decades, making him one of the more prolific Texas musicians still working. The singer, whose unmistakeable voice matches his unmistakeable sideburns, has a creative streak that can flare up anytime, anywhere. So it’s not exactly a surprise to learn that he wrote “Everybody’s Somebody in Luckenbach, Texas,” from latest album Call Me Insane, on stage at the Luckenbach Dance Hall.
“I like writing on stage,” Watson explains. “That’s where I do most of my writing, and they have a t-shirt that says ‘Everybody’s Somebody in Luckenbach,’ and seeing that while I was on stage, I thought, ‘You never can have too many shuffles,’ so I just made the song up, and made it a two-step. It came off pretty well.”
But the song didn’t end at the Luckenback stage last year. Jason Roberts of Asleep at the Wheel recorded it for his solo album, That’s My Home, and Watson quickly integrated it into his sets. Lloyd Maines, Call Me Insane‘s producer, suggested that Watson record his own version, which Watson like enough to commit to video, too.
“I knew that if it was catchy enough for people to start singing along at the chorus the first time they hear it, that’s a song it’s pretty safe to do a video on,” Watson says. “If it resonates that well with people, if you put a little grin on people’s face when they’re dancing, it sure makes you feel good. Anybody who sees the video, they get a little taste of Luckenbach. At least they learn how to two-step, anyway.”
