Released: 2018
Luke Combs’ ‘Houston, We Got a Problem’ is a heartfelt country ballad that tells the story of a man who, despite being in a place he enjoys, can’t help but feel homesick because he misses someone special. The song uses the city of Houston as a metaphor for a place that’s great but still lacking because it doesn’t have the person he cares about.
In the opening verse, Combs paints a picture of a man enjoying his time in Houston, with a great view of the ’empty Astrodome’ and a tab at the bar downstairs. However, he can’t shake off the feeling of missing home. The ’12th floor room’ and ‘killer view’ suggest he’s in a nice place, but the ’empty Astrodome’ could symbolize his loneliness.
The chorus repeats the line ‘Houston, we got a problem’, a famous phrase from the Apollo 13 mission, which is cleverly used here to express his longing. Despite the ‘biggest sky you’ve ever seen’ and the ‘coldest beer you’d ever drink’, Houston feels like the moon to him because it ‘ain’t got you’. This is a clear message of missing someone dearly.
In the second verse, Combs talks about ’19th Street’ and a ‘midnight rodeo’, which are typical Texan experiences. He even mentions line dancing to ‘Copperhead Road’, a popular country song. Despite these enjoyable experiences, he still wishes he was an ‘outlaw’, perhaps suggesting a desire to break free from his loneliness and return to his loved one.
The song ends with the repeated line ‘Houston, we got a problem’, emphasizing the singer’s homesickness and longing for his loved one. Despite the joys of Houston, it’s clear that the city, for all its charm, can’t replace the person he misses.
