Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

Throwback To George Strait’s Breakout Hit, “Unwound”

by
  • Riley is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, known for her engaging storytelling and insightful coverage of the genre.
  • Before joining Country Thang Daily, Riley developed her expertise at Billboard and People magazine, focusing on feature stories and music reviews.
  • Riley has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Belmont University, with a minor in Cultural Studies.

In 1981, George Strait made a major label debut with his song “Unwound.” Released as the lead single from his debut album Strait Country, the song peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart – it was Strait’s first top-ten hit.

Strait regularly included “Unwound” in his set on his Cowboy Rides Away Tour. The song’s influence has also been acknowledged through the years by different artists. Did you know this is the song that inspired a young Garth Brooks to pursue his own dream of country stardom? Other than Brooks, Toby Keith also performed it during the 2010 ACM tribute to Strait and his fellow country traditionalists.

It Was Pure Luck That Landed Strait To What Would Be His Breakout Song

Written by Dean Dillon and Frank Dycus, “Unwound” tells the tale of a man having issues with his woman. He went out drinking one night because:

“That woman that I had wrapped around my finger just come unwound. She kicked me out of the house, and tonight I’m whisky bound. I’m gonna be the drunkest fool in town. ‘Cause that woman that I had wrapped around my finger just come unwound,” Strait sings.

Dillon recalled to Texas Monthly that after he moved to Nashville in 1973, Dycus was the first songwriter he met. While mulling over the song idea at Nashville’s Third Coast bar, Dycus walked through the door, and the two made such a history.

“We wrote this song. I can’t even remember it. It was so bad,” Dillon recalled. “I’m really depressed because the song’s horrible” until Dycus came. 

“I said, ‘Man, I’ve got a great song idea. Let’s write it,'” he continued. “He said, ‘What is it?’ I said, ‘She’s got me wrapped around her finger, but tonight I’m gonna unwind.’ And he looked at me and thought for a minute, and he said, ‘What about this: ‘That woman that I had wrapped around my finger just came unwound?”

“And I said, ‘Well, hell, I like that better,'” Dillon added. “So we sat down at a table on that patio and wrote a song called “Unwound.” In about forty-five minutes. And got good and drunk doing it.”

Dillon and Dycus originally wrote the song for country singer Johnny Paycheck. However, Paycheck was in jail at the time. 

Strait’s record producer, Blake Mevis, had to drive over to Dillon’s house in 1980, where he found Dillon and Dycus writing songs on the front porch. He asked them if they had any new songs for a ‘new kid from Texas.’ Since Paycheck could no longer use “Unwound,” they gave it to Mevis for Strait to sing. 

Pitching a song to an unknown artist – which Strait was at the time – was not something writers usually did back then. “Nobody that was a songwriter in their right mind would give some twenty-something-year-old kid from Texas, completely unknown, their top-drawer stuff,” Dillon explained. But he liked Strait’s voice, so he continued to pitch the future country legend some of his other songs.

“So, I pitched him everything I had and ended up with six songs on his first album. I think a lot of that had to do with nobody else would give him anything. He never forgot that,” Dillon said. Since then, Strait has cut over fifty of Dillon’s songs, and the two frequently co-write together.

You can listen to George Strait‘s “Unwound” in the video below.

Latest Stories

Josh Weathers raises over $337000 in a livestream concert fundraiser to help Texas families devastated by catastrophic floods.

Josh Weathers Raises Over $337000 in Livestream to Help Texas Families Hit by Floods

A guitar in hand and a heart the size of Texas. That’s Josh Weathers right now. While storms swallowed up gigs and highways across Central Texas, this Fort Worth native ...

Lauren Alaina fires back at trolls who mom-shame her for bottle-feeding her newborn, pictured holding baby Beni Doll Arnold.

Lauren Alaina Fires Back at Trolls Who Mom-Shame Her for Bottle-Feeding

A bottle in one hand and zero time for strangers’ opinions in the other. That’s how Lauren Alaina’s rolling and some loudmouths just found out the hard way. If you’ve ...

Kelly Clarkson seen emotional in a past photo, echoing fans’ heartbreak after she canceled her Vegas opening night due to illness.

Fans Are Heartbroken After Kelly Clarkson Cancels Vegas Opening Night Due to Illness

Nothing guts a diehard fan like standing in line for hours only to get hit with the words “Show’s off.” Kelly Clarkson found herself in that brutal spot last weekend ...

Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton perform together on stage, teaming up for a new duet that might break country radio charts.

Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton Team Up for a Duet That Might Break Country Radio

Sometimes, country music gives you a pairing that is so perfect that you wonder what the hell took so long. Well, here we are. Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton are ...

Dolly Parton smiles in a sparkling gown, proving she’ll always look glamorous on the outside to match how she feels inside.

Dolly Parton Shares Glamorous Photo Says She’ll Always Look How She Feels Inside

Some folks roll out of bed looking like they just survived a bar fight but not Dolly damn Parton. On July 1, the queen of country herself dropped a glamorous ...

Lee Greenwood performs live in a patriotic shirt, years after nearly shelving “God Bless The USA,” now America’s beloved anthem.

Lee Greenwood Almost Didn’t Release “God Bless The USA” as a Single, Now It’s America’s Anthem

Sometimes, the songs that shape a nation nearly get buried on the B side. Back in 1984, Lee Greenwood was on a solid run of hits and living out every ...

Keith Urban smiles on stage in Akron, Ohio, where he made a heartfelt gesture for a blind fan that moved the audience to tears.

Keith Urban’s Sweet Gesture for Blind Fan Leaves Sister Thanking Him for Truly Seeing Her

Some moments at a concert feel bigger than the music. This was one of them. Keith Urban‘s always been one of the good guys in country, but fans at his ...

Gracie McGraw, seen here at a past event, recently left fans laughing on Instagram comparing herself to Jurassic dinosaurs.

Tim McGraw’s Daughter Gracie Leaves Fans in Stitches Comparing Herself to Dinosaurs

Sometimes, you just need a reminder that not every celebrity kid takes themselves too seriously. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s oldest daughter, Gracie McGraw, just gave the internet a masterclass ...

Willie Nelson smiles while performing onstage with his iconic guitar, as rumors swirl about Baylor University banning him.

Did a Texas University Ban Willie Nelson or Was He Just Too Much of an Outlaw to Show Up

Only Willie Nelson could have a “campus ban” rumor stick for 40 years and make him look even more like the cowboy rebel everyone loves. If you’ve ever cracked open ...

Roy Rogers, smiling in his signature cowboy hat and embroidered suit, remembered by fans as the King of the Cowboys in 1998.

On This Day, Fans Remember Roy Rogers, the King of the Cowboys, Who Rode Off in 1998

Sometimes the cowboy who taught America how to ride tall in the saddle and tip a hat with a smile is the one who leaves the biggest boots to fill. ...