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)
I Can Still Make Cheyenne
George Strait Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She heard his voice on the other end of the line
She wondered what was wrong this time
She never knew what his calls might bring
With a cowboy like him, it could be anything
And she always expected the worst
In the back of her mind
Didn't make the short go again and I'm coming home
I know I've been away too long
I never got a chance to write or call
And I know this rodeo has been hard on us all
But I'll be home soon
And honey is there somethin' wrong
She said, don't bother comin' home
By time you get here I'll be long gone
There's somebody new and he sure ain't no rodeo man
He said, I'm sorry it's come down to this
There's so much about you that I'm gonna miss
But it's alright baby
If I hurry I can still make Cheyenne
Gotta go now baby
If I hurry I can still make Cheyenne
He left that phone danglin' off the hook
Then slowly turned around and gave it one last look
Then he just walked away
He aimed his truck toward that Wyoming line
With a little luck he could still get there in time
And in that Cheyenne wind he could still hear her say
She said, don't bother comin' home
By time you get here I'll be long gone
There's somebody new and he sure ain't no rodeo man
He said, I'm sorry it's come down to this
There's so much about you that I'm gonna miss
But it's alright baby
If I hurry I can still make Cheyenne
Gotta go now baby
If I hurry I can still make Cheyenne
She never knew what his calls might bring
With a cowboy like him, it could be anything
And she always expected the worst
In the back of her mind
The song "I Can Still Make Cheyenne" by George Strait tells the story of a cowboy who has been away on the rodeo circuit for too long. He calls his wife from a payphone to tell her that he’s coming home because he hasn’t made the short go, but when he asks her if anything is wrong she tells him that she’s started seeing someone else. Heartbroken, the cowboy immediately hangs up the phone and drives to Cheyenne, Wyoming, his final rodeo stop, hoping to win enough money to make things right with his wife. He just needs to beat the odds and make the ride on his bull to have a shot at the prize money that may just be enough to bring his wife back to him. The emotional song portrays the struggles of rodeo life and long-distance relationships. It also highlights the impacts of being too focused on one's passion and not giving enough attention to relationships, leading to loss and regret.
Throughout the song, the lyrics paint the picture of the emotions that the cowboy and his wife are feeling. The cowboy is desperate to keep his relationship alive, while the wife is at a point where she is done waiting for him to come home. The chorus of the song, "If I hurry, I can still make Cheyenne," is repeated multiple times, highlighting the cowboy's desperation and determination to win the prize money and win back his wife. However, this only adds to the heartbreaking realization that the distance between them has become too great.
Line by Line Meaning
Her telephone rang 'bout a quarter to nine
She received a phone call at around 8:45 in the evening.
She heard his voice on the other end of the line
She recognized the voice of the person who called her.
She wondered what was wrong this time
She was worried that the person who called may have some bad news.
She never knew what his calls might bring
She was always unsure of what to expect from this person's phone calls.
With a cowboy like him, it could be anything
This person was a cowboy and could have all sorts of unpredictable experiences while on the road.
And she always expected the worst
Since she never knew what to expect, she always anticipated the worst possible news.
He said, it's cold out here and I'm all alone
The person who called was experiencing cold weather and was feeling lonely.
Didn't make the short go again and I'm coming home
The artist participated in the rodeo competition but failed to qualify to the next round and was heading home earlier than expected.
I know I've been away too long
The artist is aware that he's been gone from home for too long.
I never got a chance to write or call
The artist wasn't able to communicate with the person on the other line frequently.
And I know this rodeo has been hard on us all
The rodeo competition has taken a toll on everyone involved, especially their relationship.
But I'll be home soon
The artist promises to arrive home soon.
And honey is there somethin' wrong
The singer is asking if there is anything wrong between them.
She said, don't bother comin' home
The person on the other line doesn't want the singer to come home.
By time you get here I'll be long gone
The person on the other line implies that she'll move on by the time the singer arrives home.
There's somebody new and he sure ain't no rodeo man
The person on the other line has found a new partner who isn't a rodeo man.
He said, I'm sorry it's come down to this
The artist apologizes for the situation they've found themselves in.
There's so much about you that I'm gonna miss
The singer acknowledges the fact that he will miss certain things about the person on the other line.
But it's alright baby
The singer is trying to console the person on the other line.
If I hurry I can still make Cheyenne
The artist still has a chance to make it to his destination - Cheyenne.
Gotta go now baby
The artist has to leave immediately.
He left that phone danglin' off the hook
The artist didn't put the phone back on its receiver when he hung up.
Then slowly turned around and gave it one last look
The singer looked back at the phone before leaving.
Then he just walked away
The artist left the place.
He aimed his truck toward that Wyoming line
The singer headed towards the state line of Wyoming.
With a little luck he could still get there in time
The singer is hopeful that he still has enough time to make it to his destination.
And in that Cheyenne wind he could still hear her say
The singer imagined hearing the person on the other line speaking to him amidst the wind in Cheyenne.
Lyrics © ERV WOOLSEY COMPANY INC. D/B/A WIMBERLEY MUSIC, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: Aaron Gayle Barker, Ervine Woolsey
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!