Hit the road with these traveling country tunes.
Amarillo by Morning
George Strait had a hit with this salute to the life—and passing scenery—of a rodeo cowboy riding the Texas circuit from Houston to San Antonio to Amarillo.
Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)
Waylon Jennings sings about a tiny Texas Hill Country town where “ain’t nobody feelin’ no pain.” Established in 1849, Luckenbach’s legendary dance hall still jumps.
The Streets of Laredo
A ballad of a dying cowboy’s advice to a young cowboy, this enduring standard has been recorded by numerous artists, including Roy Rogers, Rex Allen (and his son), Chet Atkins, and Johnny Cash.
Western Skies
Nashville is no place for Chris LeDoux, as evidenced by his heartfelt ode to the Rocky Mountain West that celebrates “county fairs and rodeos” and “sage in bloom.”
The Beaches of Cheyenne
Garth Brooks laments a California woman who loses her cowboy to “a bull no man could ride” in the arena dirt of Cheyenne. An aching ballad of lost love and regret.
El Paso
In a classic celebration of TexMex culture, Marty Robbins blends his lyrics with traditional mariachi melody to create a timeless masterpiece with visions of cantinas and dancing senoritas. Who wouldn’t want to pack their bags for West Texas?
Abilene
In an oldie but goodie, George Hamilton IV sings of missing his little Texas town roots. A once bustling railroad and major cattle-producing town, it’s home to the West Texas Fair featuring exhibits and amusements reflecting its early days, plus modern attractions of West Texas.
Tulsa Time
Line dancers rejoiced when Don Williams sang this beat that just begs for boot scootin’. Settled by oil entrepreneurs and cattle barons, the Tulsa of today is a thriving cosmopolitan city celebrating the arts, architecture, and its Western culture.
Telluride
You can almost feel the chill of the “falling snow in a sleepy little Colorado town” when Tim McGraw belts out this ode to the Rockies.
Paint Me a Birmingham
Tracy Lawrence asks an artist to “Paint Me a Birmingham” in a ballad of love lost in this classic southern Alabama town. This city is nestled in the rolling foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in the heart of the Deep South.
These are some of our favorites. What are yours?
