Guests include Ricky Skaggs, Rosanne Cash and Vince Gill as well as numerous well-known session players.

Skaggs would later have a hit with "Heartbroke", and Rodney Crowell, who produced the album, with "She's Crazy for Leavin'".

Allmusic stated in its review: "South Coast of Texas was a transition album toward the mature Clark style, one that was first to emerge on his next album, Better Days.

It's not a landmark in his catalog, but neither is it anything that could remotely be considered a failure."

All songs written by Guy Clark except as noted.