In the No.1 hit song “Choosin’ Texas,” Ella Langley tells the story of how Tennessee and Texas VIE or compete for the heart of her romantic partner. But no matter how hard Ella tried to bring her guy into a new life in Tennessee, his ties to Texas proved to be too strong to overcome. In the end, “his heart still belongs to the Lone Star State…because a cowboy always finds a way to leave.”
As you have probably already guessed, “Choosin’ Texas” has yet to appear on an SAT test. But VIE was an answer on a May 2026 vocabulary in context question. For another example of VIE check out today’s headline stories describing how the United States and Iran are VYING for control of the Straits of Hormuz.
VIE – to compete for a goal or prize