Before their album even dropped, the Dixie Chicks had Lubbock buzzing with a little tune called “Lubbock or Leave It.” Natalie Maines—our most famous local export since Buddy Holly—called her hometown a “dust bowl” and “Bible belt,” with a chorus that basically told the city to pack its bags for hell’s half acre. She even threw in a Buddy Holly jab, pointing out that he only got a statue after death, suggesting she’ll have to die before Lubbock admits it wronged her too.
Naturally, this didn’t sit well in a town that still hadn’t forgiven her for saying she was ashamed George W. Bush was from Texas. Radio stations had banned their music, fans clutched their pearls, and local talk shows filled up with “how dare she” outrage. Meanwhile, Natalie’s uncle Kenny Maines shrugged and said maybe the whole thing was just therapy.
The Convention and Visitors Bureau, hilariously, wasn’t mad at all. In fact, they basically said: “Bad publicity? In Lubbock? Please. We can’t afford real marketing. Let the Chicks drag us all the way to the bank.”
So yes, Natalie Maines called out Lubbock’s hypocrisy in a song, and Lubbock responded exactly as you’d expect—by proving her right. Maybe when she’s dead and gone, she’ll finally get that Buddy Holly–style statue… probably stuck next to Loop 289.