Fort Worth at heart of an episode of Netflix’s ‘Girls5eva.’ Who cares if it’s love or not?
Fort Worth is known for its ties to country music, but now Cowtown has its own pop song thanks to the show “Girls5eva”.
The song “Tap Into Your (Fort) Worth” is heavily featured in the season 3 premiere of “Girls5eva,” which released on Netflix in mid-March. The musical comedy follows a one-hit-wonder all-female group from the ‘90s as they get a second shot at fame.
Most of the episode, aptly titled “Fort Worth,” is centered around Cowtown since the group chooses the city as the first stop on their new world tour. Complete with references to the Fort Worth Stockyards and Trinity River, the episode is having fun with its Texas setting.
Take the song “Tap Into Your (Fort) Worth,” which makes references to many Fort Worth staples such as the zoo and even the Star-Telegram.
“Got my best boots on, smile on my face/Can’t believe we’re from this place/Thirteenth biggest in the states/Can a town be your soulmate?/East Exchange Avenue/Steers in my rear-view/Gonna hit what USA Today calls the second-best zoo,” the song goes.
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How many Fort Worth references are made in ‘Girls5eva’?
Several real Fort Worth references are featured throughout the episode, including mentions of:
Fort Worth Zoo
Fort Worth Stockyards
East Exchange Avenue
Texas Christian University
Texas Motor Speedway
Trinity River
Interstate-35
Rivercrest neighborhood
Singer Kelly Clarkson
Actor Larry Hagman
Actress Leighton Meester
Actress Kate Capshaw
Journalist Bob Schieffer
“‘Cause Cowtown is a wow-town/With a walkable downtown/It’s time to tap into your Fort Worth/Worth! Worth! Worth,” the song goes.
What do ‘Girls5eva’ do in Fort Worth?
The episode opens with the group performing at the fictional concert venue “East Exchange Roadhouse,” followed by an appearance on a fictional daytime talk show titled “First Things Fort with Jackie Werth.”
In between these sequences, more of the group performing “Tap Into Your (Fort) Worth” is shown.
“It’s got no hipsters, like Austin/Or Wahlbergs, like Boston/Or tech bros, like Austin/Or Afflecks, like Boston/Now, some say Omaha Zoo is second best, but that’s a lie/Because their red panda is always inside/It’s never out on the tree,” the song continues.
The next batch of Fort Worth references come in the form of invitations to the group from local organizations.
Stockyards organizers are hoping “Girls5eva” can lead the steer walk. Texas Motor Speedway wants the group to wave the checkered flag. The fictional Fort Worth Hard Rock is asking for memorabilia.
Finally, the “Fort Worth mayor” invites the group to stay in town another week so they can attend a ribbon cutting for a new on-ramp on Interstate-35.
“And the Trinity River’s getting better/Parts are even swimmable/It’s no longer called the mythological river of death/’Cause where the west begins, it’s where your best begins,” the song goes.
Back at the East Exchange Roadhouse for another show, Renée Elise Goldsberry’s character Wickie Roy says she’s late for rehearsal after being “stuck at the steer walk signing cows.”
The group performs and once again belt out “Tap Into Your (Fort) Worth” to the crowd that happens to feature one concert goer wearing a “Face the Nation” shirt with Bob Schieffer’s face on it.
Schieffer grew up in Fort Worth, graduated from TCU, worked at the Star-Telegram and later for CBS Broadcasting. The retired journalist told TCU that he found the song mention to be hilarious.
Other Fort Worth-born celebrities mentioned in the song, include actor Larry Hagman, actress Leighton Meester and actress Kate Capshaw.
“It’s time to tap into your Fort Worth/Time to tap into your Fort Worth/The home of Hagman and Meester/Capshaw and Schieffer/Tap into your Fort Worth,” the song goes.
In addition to highlighting several key Fort Worth references, the show also adds fuel to a fire that’s been burning for decades.
Having sung “Tap Into Your (Fort) Worth” over and over again during a show, Sara Bareilles’ character Dawn Solano tries to do something new and yells out “F- Dallas”.
To which the Fort Worth crowd happily yells right back.
“One look and you’ll love it too/No wonder Jesus went to TCU/It was early decision/See, I know, I’m worth it/Y’all know, you’re worth it/The Fort Worth Star-Telegram knows they’re worth it/That’s why their site has a paywall,” the song goes.
The rest of the episode sees the group gearing up to leave Fort Worth and head to the next city on their world tour. Bye Texas, next stop, the Ozarks.
“‘Cause Cowtown is a wow town/With a walkable downtown/It’s time to tap into your Fort Worth/The home of Hagman and Meester/Capshaw and Schieffer/Of museums and parks and/Also Kelly Clarkson/Tap into your Fort Worth/Worth, worth, worth, yeehaw,” the song ends.
The first three seasons of “Girls5eva” are now streaming on Netflix.
