Amarillo by Morning - George Strait

 [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX_9Go0Z8e4]

I recently did some work in the studio on a cover of this song, and I remembered how much I like it. It's just smooth in a way that nobody else but King George can be. Even when you have someone else do the song that's a good performer, no one seems to ever be able to capture quite what Strait does during his performances of the song, and he looks like he does it with such little effort.

With that said, Strait's version wasn't the first. It was first recorded by co-writer Terry Stafford in 1973; Strait's version was released a decade later. Strait took the song all the way to #4, while Stafford's version only managed to reach #37. The right song making it into the right hands has a lot to do with the success of the song. It's all about interpretation.