George Strait has released well over 100 singles, not to mention the numerous songs he recorded for his many albums. So it might be surprising that there is one song that is his favorite, and it’s “Amarillo By Morning”.
Written by Paul Fraser and Terry Stafford, “Amarillo By Morning” is on Strait’s sophomore Strait From The Heart album. Although it is not one of Strati’s 60 No. 1 singles, it did become a multi-platinum hit for him.
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While performing at Gruene Hall in his native Texas, the place where his career began, Strait called “Amarillo By Morning” his favorite.
“My most favorite song I’ve ever recorded, and it was big in the dance halls, people always requested it,” Strait said by way of introduction. “This one’s called ‘Amarillo By Morning.’ I love singing it.”
The Story Behind “Amarillo By Morning” by George Strait
“Amarillo By Morning” says, “They took my saddle in Houston, broke my leg in Santa Fe / Lost my wife and a girlfriend somewhere along the way / Well I’ll be looking for eight when they pull that gate / And I hope that judge ain’t blind / Amarillo by morning, Amarillo’s on my mind / Amarillo by morning, up from San Antone / Everything that I’ve got is just what I’ve got on / I ain’t got a dime, but what I got is mine / I ain’t rich, but Lord I’m free / Amarillo by morning, Amarillo’s where I’ll be.”
Before Strait released “Amarillo By Morning”, Stafford had a minor hit with the song in 1973, peaking just inside the Top 40. “Amarillo By Morning” was inspired, perhaps surprisingly, by a FedEx commercial.
“One night, Terry called me at home,” Fraser remembers. “He had been watching television, and a commercial for a delivery service had just run… It got him thinking. This commercial guaranteed they could get your package to places like Amarillo by the next morning [and] he wanted to write a song around that concept.”
More than 40 years after “Amarillo By Morning” was released, Strait continues to perform the song in his live shows. Other artists who have covered “Amarillo By Morning” include Chris LeDoux and Asleep at the Wheel, although Strait’s version remains the most popular.
A native Texan, it’s understandable why “Amarillo By Morning” is a Strait favorite. But he has released several other songs about Texas, including “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind” and “All My Ex’s Live In Texas”.
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