Strait's success began when his first single "Unwound" was a hit in 1981. During the 1980s, seven of his albums reached #1 on the country charts. In the 2000s, Strait was named Artist of the Decade by the Academy of Country Music, was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and won his first Grammy award for the album Troubadour. Strait was named CMA Entertainer of the Year in 1989, 1990 and 2013, and ACM Entertainer of the Year in 1990 and 2014. He has been nominated for more CMA and ACM awards and has more wins in both categories than any other artist.
By 2009, he broke Conway Twitty's previous record for the most #1 hits on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart when his 44 #1 singles surpassed Twitty's 40. Counting all music charts, Strait has amassed a total of 60 #1 hits, breaking a record also previously set by Twitty, giving him more #1 songs than any other artist in any genre of music.
Strait is also known for his touring career when he designed a 360-degree configuration and introduced festival style tours. For example, the Strait Tours earned $99 million in three years. His concert at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in June 2014 drew 104,793 people, marking a new record for largest indoor concert in North America.
In more than 30 years of recording, all of which have been spent with MCA Records, George Strait has garnered 61 #1 songs on all country charts (including Mediabase 24/7, the former Radio & Records chart, and the now-defunct Gavin Report chart), and has more #1 hits than any other artist in a single genre. His 44 Billboard country #1 hits are a record, four more than Conway Twitty's total that includes several duets with Loretta Lynn. Additionally, Strait is also the first artist in the history of Billboard to have at least one single enter the top 10 of a Billboard chart for 30 consecutive years, starting in 1981 when his debut single "Unwound" peaked at number six on the Hot Country Singles chart. All of his top-10 singles have been on that chart. Strait has sold more than 68 million records in the United States alone, and his certifications from the RIAA include 13 multiplatinum, 33 platinum, and 38 gold albums.
George Strait Discography:
Strait Country (1981)
Strait from the Heart (1982)
Right or Wrong (1983)
Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind (1984)
Something Special (1985)
#7 (1986)
Ocean Front Property (1987)
If You Ain't Lovin' You Ain't Livin' (1988)
Beyond the Blue Neon (1989)
Livin' It Up (1990)
Chill of an Early Fall (1991)
Holding My Own (1992)
Pure Country (1992)
Easy Come, Easy Go (1993)
Lead On (1994)
Blue Clear Sky (1996)
Carrying Your Love with Me (1997)
One Step at a Time (1998)
Always Never the Same (1999)
George Strait (2000)
The Road Less Traveled (2001)
Honkytonkville (2003)
Somewhere Down in Texas (2005)
It Just Comes Natural (2006)
Troubadour (2008)
Twang (2009)
Here for a Good Time (2011)
Love Is Everything (2013)
Cold Beer Conversation (2015)
Honky Tonk Time Machine (2019)
Amarillo By Morning
George Strait Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Up from San Antone
Everything that I got
Is just what I've got on
When that sun is high in that Texas sky
I'll be buckin' at the county fair
Amarillo by morning
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 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
Amarillo by morning
Amarillo's where I'll be
In the first verse, the singer is vocalizing the desire to go to Amarillo, Texas, early in the morning from San Antone, Texas. The singer indicates that everything he owns, he is carrying on his back. He knows he has to compete in the rodeo and will be bucking at the county fair when the sun is high in the Texas sky. The imagery of the rodeo competition depicts a hardworking cowboy who has put all of his focus on the rodeo and nothing else. The point of view of the singer seems to be from a humble cowboy, and despite having nothing to his name but what he carries with him, he still has his aspirations and sights set on Amarillo.
In the second verse, the singer tells about losing his saddle in Houston and breaking his leg in Santa Fe. He also recognizes that he has lost his wife and a girlfriend somewhere along the way. Despite these challenges, the singer plans on continuing to compete in the rodeo and hopes to score a high of eight when the gate is pulled open. The last line of the verse expresses that Amarillo is still on his mind despite all of his troubles. The repetition of "Amarillo by morning" throughout the song gives the feeling of hope and desire and implies that everything else the singer has lost is worth the chance to compete and to find hope and purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
Amarillo by morning, up from San Antone
I'll be in Amarillo early in the morning, traveling from San Antonio.
Everything that I've got, is just what I've got on
I don't have much with me, everything I own is on me.
When that sun is high in that Texas sky
During the day when the sun is shining in the sky of Texas.
I'll be bucking at the county fair
I'll be riding a bucking horse at the county fair.
Amarillo by morning, Amarillo I'll be there
I'll be in Amarillo in the morning, that's where I'm headed.
They took my saddle in Houston, broke my leg in Santa Fe
I lost my saddle in Houston, and got injured with a broken leg in Santa Fe.
Lost my wife and a girlfriend somewhere along the way
I lost both my wife and girlfriend in my travels, and don't know where they are now.
Well I'll be looking for eight when they pull that gate
I'll be looking to score at least 8 seconds when the horse riding event starts.
And I hope that judge ain't blind
I hope the judge won't be unfair or biased in my performance.
Amarillo by morning, Amarillo's on my mind
I'm thinking about Amarillo and getting there in the morning.
I ain't got a dime, but what I got is mine
I'm broke, but I still have ownership of what I have.
I ain't rich, but Lord I'm free
I may not be wealthy, but I feel free and independent.
Amarillo by morning, Amarillo's where I'll be
I'll arrive in Amarillo in the morning and that's where I'll stay.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Paul Fraser, Terry Stafford
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Shannon Beeler
on The Fireman
Tara we know how much you miss spending the 4th of July with David, so we thought this may make you feel a little better! Love ya!