Hear Ronnie Dunn’s Stellar Cover of George Strait’s ‘Amarillo by Morning’
Ronnie Dunn brings his own distinctive style to an all-time country classic on his new cover of George Strait's "Amarillo by Morning."
Dunn raises the key and changes the arrangement for his new recording of "Amarillo by Morning," replacing Strait's easygoing vocal performance with a bit more urgency and bite, while guitars and pedal steel take the place of the original fiddle line that opens Strait's hit from 1983.
Terry Stafford and Paul Fraser co-wrote "Amarillo by Morning," which Stafford first recorded for his Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose album in 1973. Strait covered it a decade later for his sophomore album, Strait From the Heart. Released as the third single from the album, "Amarillo by Morning" reached No. 4 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. It has gone on to become one of Strait's signature songs.
Why Did Brooks & Dunn Break Up, Anyway?
The lyrics draw a parallel between the life of a rodeo cowboy and the road life of a touring musician.
"Amarillo by morning / Up from San Antone / Everything that I got is just what I got on / When that sun is high in that Texas sky / I'll be buckin' at the county fair / Amarillo by morning / Amarillo, I'll be there," Dunn sings to begin the track, putting his own unique spin on a song that's also been covered by Chris LeDoux, Asleep at the Wheel and more.
Dunn's rendition of "Amarillo by Morning" appears on his upcoming Re-Dunn album, which features the iconic county singer re-interpreting country and rock hits from Strait, Tom Petty, Lee Ann Womack, Van Morrison and more.
“This is a passion project for me," Dunn says in a press release announcing the 24-track project. "If you put together a group of songs that define the soundtrack of my life, this is what it would look like."
Re-Dunn is set for release in January of 2020. Dunn will release one country song and one rock song every four weeks prior to the album's release. In addition to the Strait cover, Dunn released a cover of the Hollies' "Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)" on Friday (Sept. 6).
50 Essential '90s Country Songs