Welcome to The Dirt. In every issue, our anonymous writer will give you the dirt on your burning questions about the Amarillo area. Got something you’re just dying to know? Drop us a line at info@brickandelm.com, and our intrepid writer will dig up the answer.
This issue, in honor of the Working Ranch Cowboys Association’s world championship rodeo, we’re doing an all-cowboy edition.
When George Strait wrote “Amarillo by Morning,” had he actually ever been to Amarillo?
The Dirt could be a smug know-it-all about this question, but no one has ever accused The Dirt of being a smug know-it-all. (That’s a lie.) So, we’ll put this to our friend as gently as we can: George Strait sings “Amarillo by Morning,” but he didn’t write it—or, generally, any of his hits. Strait’s known as a great picker of songs, not a great penner of them.
This particular country tune was actually written by Terry Stafford, who grew up here in the Yellow City and graduated from Palo Duro High School before seeking his fortune in California. Stafford, who would become known as an Elvis Presley soundalike, released a version of Presley’s “Suspicion” in 1964.
In April of that year, Stafford’s version was No. 6 on the Billboard charts the same week that The Beatles held the top five slots; a week later, Stafford broke the Fab Four’s hold on the top by rising to No. 3. It was his biggest hit as a recording artist, but he did co-write and release “Amarillo by Morning” in 1973 as the B-side to his tune “Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose.” It didn’t make a splash nationally, but it apparently became enough of a hit on the honkytonk circuit that Strait started covering it and, eventually, recorded it for his album “Strait from the Heart.” It peaked at No. 4, but it solidified Strait’s reputation as a country traditionalist and became one of the most iconic songs in his repertoire.
I just moved here and can’t get over the suffocating cow-poop smell. Will I ever get used to it?
From the sound of it, you’ve lived here a few months. Or perhaps for several years. Maybe even all of your life. What The Dirt is saying is that, no, you’ll never get over it. Some people will say that they just don’t notice the pungent aroma except, perhaps, on the very worst of days. Those people are liars. Dirty, rotten liars. You’ll get used to it, perhaps. You’ll never get over it.
Is it just me, or is Western fashion making a comeback?
Well, if you ask most folks around here, Western fashion has never been out of fashion. But there’s no denying that outside this region, and among local fashionistas, Western wear is riding back into vogue. In fact, Vogue magazine declared it a trend again earlier this year. Though she can’t score a country music nomination to save her life, Beyoncé is leading the way with her “Texas Hold ’Em”-inspired looks. Louis Vuitton’s fall/winter 2024 men’s show embraced the look, too, with bolo ties, chaps and head-to-toe denim. Vogue also recommends fringed jackets, rodeo-style jeans, silver- or pewter-embellished belts and even cowboy hats. Whatever you wear, wear it with confidence.
Presented by:
