Amarillo by Morning

"Amarillo by Morning" is a country music song written by Terry Stafford and Paul Fraser, and recorded in a country pop style by Stafford as a single in 1973 to minor success. The song would be popularized in a fiddle-based Western rendition by Texas neotraditionalist George Strait in 1982. Content The song is sung from the point of view of a rodeo cowboy, driving at night from San Antonio to a county fair in Amarillo, that will begin the following morning. The man recounts the hardships his occupation has caused him, including divorce, broken bones, and poverty, but states that he does not regret his lifestyle: "I ain't rich/ But Lord, I'm free." The song has appeared in several lists of the best country songs. Original recording Stafford conceived the song after playing with his band at a rodeo in San Antonio, Texas, and then driving back to his home in Amarillo, Texas. Stafford conveyed the concept and title he pulled from a FedEx commercial to Paul Fraser over the phone and by the next morning Paul had written the song. Stafford recorded the song on his Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose album, released in 1973. The single was released August 2, 1973, by Atlantic Records with the master number 26867. The single "Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose" had been previously released as an A-side 45 (Atlantic Master 26868; June 7, 1973), but due to the success of "Amarillo by Morning", the single was re-released October 4, 1973, as the A-side (Atlantic Master 26867-1 stereo and Atlantic Master 26867-2 mono), with "Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose" on the B-side. The song entered the Cash Box Country Looking Ahead chart November 3, 1973, the Cash Box Country chart on December 15, 1973, peaking at #37, the Billboard Country chart December 1, 1973, peaking at #31, the Record World Country chart December 15, 1973, peaking at #50, and Canada RPM Country chart January 26, 1974, peaking at number 38.