Michelle Branch, ‘Texas in the Mirror’ – Song Spotlight

We're not sure why anyone would want to drive away from the Lone Star State, and in her latest song, 'Texas in the Mirror,' Michelle Branch seems a bit confused as well.

The somber alternative country ballad depicts a 6-year-old Branch, riding in the car with her mother, headed away from everything familiar without knowing where they're headed or why:

"Looking for a reason in her eyes / She sings along with Elvis / Turned around and never asking why / We left it all behind us."

Confused, Branch asks her mother where they're going -- and expresses that things change so quickly -- as Texas fades away in the rearview mirror.

'Texas in the Mirror' is a new release for Branch, but not a new song. "'Texas in the Mirror' is a song that I’ve had for years. I wrote it around the time I was recording 'Hotel Paper,' but it seemed out of place with the rest of the material. When I was in my band the Wreckers [with Jessica Harp], we’d play it live from time to time, and a lot of you really loved it -– especially my fans in Texas," the Arizona native explains on her official website.

Branch released 'Everything Comes and Goes' -- a six-track EP -- in July 2010, but couldn't squeeze 'Texas' in there, either, so she decided to make it available as a free song download for her dedicated following. Adds Branch, "So now, without further adieu I give you 'Texas in The Mirror.' I hope it was worth the wait!"

Listen to Michelle Branch, 'Texas in the Mirror'