George Strait hit the stage at Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, Texas, in November 2016 to perform a nearly two-hour set in celebration of his then-new album, Strait Out of the Box: Part II.
During the concert, George treated attendees to a number of his most beloved hits, including āTroubadour,ā āWrappedā and āAmarillo by Morning,ā which he said is his āmost favorite song.ā
āMy most favorite song that Iāve ever recorded, and it was big in the dancehalls,ā said George from the stage in Gruene Hall. āPeople always requested this. Itās called āAmarillo by Morning,ā and I love singing it.ā
Part of what makes āAmarillo by Morningā the definitive cowboy ode is the plaintive joy it evokes, even in the midst of broken bones and endless miles of travel. As the third verse sums up, I aināt got a dime, but what I got is mine / I aināt rich, but Lord Iām free. Surprisingly, this never hit the top spot for Georgeāpeaking at No. 4 in 1983āeven though some consider it his signature song.
Watch Georgeās performance below, which was recently released on his YouTube page.
photo by Kirkland, AFF-USA.com