On a warm June night in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the crowd waited beneath the glow of stadium lights — 70,000 voices humming in anticipation. The air buzzed with energy, laughter, and the unmistakable sense that they were about to witness something special. When George Strait stepped onto the stage, hat low, guitar shining under the spotlight, the roar was deafening. And as the band struck the first familiar chords of “All My Ex’s Live in Texas,” the entire stadium erupted — not just in cheers, but in joy.
First released in 1987 from his landmark album Ocean Front Property, “All My Ex’s Live in Texas” has become one of country music’s most beloved anthems — a playful, clever, and irresistibly catchy tune that perfectly captures Strait’s trademark charm. It’s a song about moving on, about looking back with humor instead of heartbreak, and about how sometimes the best stories come from the ones that didn’t work out.
At Foxborough, the song took on a life of its own. The Ace in the Hole Band played with the same tight precision and effortless swing that has defined Strait’s live shows for decades. The steel guitar twanged brightly, the fiddle laughed along, and the rhythm section carried that easy Texas shuffle that makes you tap your boot without realizing it.
George smiled — that quiet, knowing smile that says he’s enjoying himself every bit as much as the fans are. His voice, still smooth and strong after all these years, rolled across the open-air stadium like honey over gravel — warm, rich, and unmistakable. “All my ex’s live in Texas…” he sang, pausing just long enough for the crowd to finish the line for him, “…and Texas is the place I’d dearly love to be!”
People sang, danced, and laughed together — strangers turned friends for a few minutes. Couples twirled. Old fans wiped away tears of nostalgia. Young ones saw what real country looks like when it’s played by a man who’s lived it.
But beneath the humor and energy, there was a tenderness in the moment — a recognition that this song, like George himself, has endured because it’s real. It’s not just about exes. It’s about memory, place, and the complicated beauty of growing older while still keeping your sense of joy.
By the final chorus, George raised his hand, tipping his hat toward the crowd. The stadium shook as 70,000 voices sang the last line in unison. It wasn’t just applause that followed — it was gratitude. Gratitude for the music, for the years, for the laughter that only he can bring.
Because on that night in Foxborough, “All My Ex’s Live in Texas” wasn’t just a song from 1987.
It was proof that George Strait still reigns — not through flash or fame, but through timeless honesty, grace, and a wink that only the King of Country can pull off.