Lainey Wilson turns childhood memories and Texas skies into a haunting tribute to Judy Garland’s Wizard of Oz classic

Lainey Wilson’s latest release is a dreamy, heartfelt tribute that takes listeners somewhere over the rainbow — and straight into the heart of small-town America.

Titled “Somewhere Over Laredo,” the new track nods to the timeless classic “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” famously sung by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Co-written by Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson, and Andy Albert, the song blends nostalgia and wanderlust in a way that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable.

Sharing the story behind the song on Instagram, Wilson wrote, “When I’m flying between shows, I catch myself looking out the window, talking to God, dreaming, or even reminiscing. ‘Somewhere Over Laredo’ tells a story that speaks to that.”

She added that while she’s always loved telling stories from other people’s points of view, this song marks a return to a more personal perspective — slipping back into a pair of old boots she once wore herself.

A Familiar Melody with a Country Soul

The chorus of “Somewhere Over Laredo” carries the same wistful yearning that made Garland’s “Rainbow” a cultural icon. But with Wilson’s warm, Southern storytelling and recognizable melodic echoes of the original, it feels fresh and unmistakably country:

“Somewhere over Laredo / Dreamin’ about those rodeo nights / Laid there on the banks of the Rio / New silver buckle on your jeans next to mine…”
“Couple wrong for each other / Lone Star-crossed lovers / Born to get gone from the get-go / But you’re on my mind every time I’m chasing this neon rainbow / Somewhere over Laredo.”

A Big Stage for a Big Song

Wilson is set to perform the song at the 2025 American Music Awards in Las Vegas on Monday, May 26, where she’s also nominated for Favorite Female Country Artist. She’s in good company, sharing the category with Beyoncé, Ella Langley, Kacey Musgraves, and Megan Moroney.

Fresh off the European leg of her Whirlwind Tour, the “Heart Like a Truck” singer will keep the momentum going with a string of summer and fall stops, including the Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam in Panama City Beach, shows in Myrtle Beach, Phoenix, Toronto, Nashville, Fort Worth, New York, and Cleveland, before wrapping things up in Orlando on November 8.

With “Somewhere Over Laredo,” Wilson continues to prove why she’s one of country music’s most powerful voices — not just for how she sings, but for how she tells a story.