(Now I play it each year as my husband and I hang ornaments on our own tree.)Įvery summer of my childhood, we packed the car with suitcases and stuffed animals, and pulled out of the driveway before dawn. And every year, we put on Merry Christmas Strait to You (along with Elvis’ Blue Christmas and Kenny G’s Miracles) as we decorated the Christmas tree and hung the stockings. Later we added (on CD) Blue Clear Sky, Carrying Your Love with Me, One Step at a Time, The Road Less Traveled. Our stack of George Strait cassettes grew gradually over the years: Ten Strait Hits, Greatest Hits Volume 2, the Pure Country soundtrac k, Ocean Front Property, Lead On, Easy Come Easy Go. I don’t know how my parents discovered George’s music, but I do know they have loved him since the early eighties, nearly all my life. His music is a constant thread, woven through the background of my childhood memories. I must have shocked my colleague – a native New Englander, more of a rock-and-roll guy than a country fan – when I said, “I could probably sing you forty of those sixty number-one hits, from memory.” I didn’t add that I could also sing (at least) twenty of George’s songs that never made it to the top of the charts. (The image above is from the article.) I didn’t make it to George’s tour stop in southern MA, but I devoured every word of the feature, which included a complete list of his (60!) No.

U.S.Recently, a colleague pointed me to the wonderful in-depth Texas Monthly article on George Strait’s long career and his farewell tour. In addition, this song became Strait's 36th Billboard Number One as a solo artist.Įnd of year charts End of year chart (2000) The song also climbed to number 1 after spending 17 weeks on the chart, where it held number 1 for three weeks on the chart dated April 22, 2000. The song entered the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart at number 48 on the chart dated January 1, 2000, and spent 29 weeks on the chart. Larry Flick, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, calling it a 'well-written tale that listeners will find easily relatable, and the chorus makes this the ultimate feel-good tune to kick off the millennium.' He goes on to say that Strait's 'warm-throated delivery is all honest emotion.' Chart performance Its intro uses the pattern A-Aaug-D-E7, and the verses use a pattern of A-D-E-A. The song is in the key of A major with a 4/4 time signature and a slow tempo of about 66 beats per minute. As they stand in a room of the church with our tuxes on, the son learned in childhood applied to his new marriage: 'I'm the luckiest man alive, this is the best day of my life'. The third and final verse is set on the son's wedding day. The second verse shows a young man becoming a teenager, and getting a Chevrolet Corvette. The first verse recalls a father-son campout, and the young man looks forward to a weekend of fishing, conversation, bonding, and other camping-related activities. The song is about a father, who recalls his son describing the activities of his life. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It was released in January 2000 as the first single from his compilation album Latest Greatest Straitest Hits. ' The Best Day' is a song written by Dean Dillon and Carson Chamberlain, and recorded by American country music singer George Strait. 2000 single by George Strait 'The Best Day'įrom the album Latest Greatest Straitest Hits

George strait the best days of my life