When you think of George Strait, you think of starched Wranglers, a crisp Resistol, and the kind of pure country music that feels like a Texas sunset. You don't necessarily think of gritty, psychedelic electric blues. But then there’s the George Strait Texas Flood cover, a moment that caught a lot of folks off guard. It’s a collision of two worlds. On one side, you have the "King of Country," a man who hasn't changed his haircut or his sound in forty years. On the other, you have the ghost of Stevie Ray Vaughan, the greatest blues guitarist to ever walk the soil of Austin.
It’s weird, right?
Actually, it makes perfect sense if you know anything about how Texas music works. Down here, the lines between honky-tonk and blues are blurry at best. George isn’t just a singer; he’s a historian of the Southwest. When he stepped into the studio to record his version of "Texas Flood," he wasn't trying to be a guitar god. He was paying rent to a legend who helped define the state's musical identity.
The Story Behind George Strait Covering Texas Flood
Most people forget that "Texas Flood" wasn't actually written by Stevie Ray Vaughan. It was originally a 1958 track by Larry Davis. But SRV owned it. He made it a masterpiece of tension and release. So, why did George Strait—a guy who usually sticks to fiddle and steel guitar—decide to take it on?
It happened for his 2019 album, Honky Tonk Time Machine. By this point in his career, George had nothing left to prove. He’d already notched more number-one hits than any other artist in history. He was playing with "house money." He wanted to record songs that meant something to him personally. George has lived in or around San Antonio and the Hill Country his whole life. He saw the rise of the Austin music scene. He lived through the era when SRV was the biggest thing on the planet.
Recording George Strait Texas Flood was a nod to that heritage. He didn't try to mimic Stevie’s aggressive, heavy-stringed Stratocaster attack. That would’ve been a disaster. Instead, he leaned into the swing. Texas music is about the groove. Whether it's Bob Wills or T-Bone Walker, it’s got to move. George’s version is cleaner. It’s polished. It sounds like a smoky late-night set at a high-end dance hall rather than a sweaty club on 6th Street.
Breaking Down the Sound: Country vs. Blues
The instrumentation on the track is fascinating because it swaps out the Marshall stacks for Nashville precision. You still get the slow, 12-bar blues structure. That’s non-negotiable. But George brings in a different kind of soul. His voice is smooth. It’s liquid.
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Some die-hard SRV fans hated it. Honestly, they usually do when anyone touches "the sacred texts." They complained it was too "clean" or lacked the "grit" of the original. But they're missing the point entirely. This wasn't a competition. It was an homage.
If you listen closely to the solo work in George's version, it’s spectacular. He used world-class session players who understood that they shouldn't just copy Stevie Ray's licks note-for-note. They kept the Texas shuffle alive but gave it a slightly more melodic, western-swing-adjacent feel. It proves that the "Texas Flood" isn't just a song—it's a mood that transcends genre.
Why This Song Matters For George Strait’s Legacy
George Strait is often pigeonholed as a "traditionalist." People think he only does three chords and the truth. That’s a bit of a lazy take. Throughout his career, he’s dipped his toes into jazz, swing, and even a little bit of rock and roll.
"Texas Flood" represents his willingness to acknowledge the broader Texas landscape. Texas isn't just Nashville West. It's a melting pot of Mexican Norteño, German polka, African American blues, and cowboy ballads. By putting George Strait Texas Flood on a major studio album, he was effectively telling his massive audience: "Hey, this is part of our culture too."
It also served as a bridge. There are plenty of country fans who wouldn't be caught dead listening to a blues record, and vice-versa. George acts as the universal translator. He has that much gravity. When he sings a blues standard, people listen because they trust him. They know he isn't going to do something cheap or gimmicky.
The SRV Connection and Austin Roots
Stevie Ray Vaughan and George Strait actually crossed paths in the 80s, though they operated in very different circles. While Stevie was battling demons and reinventing the electric guitar in Austin, George was becoming a global superstar out of San Marcos and Nashville.
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But they shared a respect for the craft.
There's a specific "Texas" way of playing guitar. It's behind the beat. It's "fat." You hear it in the way George's band handles the transitions in his cover. They aren't rushing. They let the notes breathe. That's the biggest lesson SRV taught the world, and George’s team clearly took notes.
What Fans Get Wrong About the Record
The biggest misconception is that George was "trying to be a bluesman."
He wasn't.
He’s a crooner. At his core, George Strait is a stylist. He takes a song and "Strait-ifies" it. When he does "Texas Flood," he’s using his country phrasing—that subtle Texas drawl and those perfectly timed pauses—to navigate a blues melody. It’s an exercise in vocal control.
Another thing people get wrong? Thinking this was a one-off fluke. George has been playing blues-infused tracks his whole life. Listen to "Milk Cow Blues" or some of his earlier Western Swing covers. The DNA of the George Strait Texas Flood performance has been there since Strait Country in 1981. It just took a few decades for him to finally go "full blues" on a track.
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Actionable Takeaways for Music Lovers
If you're a fan of George or Stevie, don't just listen to the hit. Dive deeper into the Texas musical lineage to understand why this cover works.
- Listen to the Original First: Find the 1958 Larry Davis version of "Texas Flood." It’ll give you a baseline for how much the song has evolved over seventy years.
- Compare the Solos: Listen to SRV’s Texas Flood (1983) and then George’s Honky Tonk Time Machine (2019) back-to-back. Don't look for who is "better." Look for the different ways they use space and silence.
- Explore Western Swing: If you liked the "cleaner" blues sound of George’s version, go back to Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. That’s where the marriage of country and blues actually started.
- Check the Credits: Look up the session musicians on George’s 2019 album. These are the same guys who play on the biggest hits in Nashville, and their versatility is the secret sauce that makes a country-blues crossover actually sound authentic instead of forced.
The George Strait Texas Flood cover isn't just a track on an album; it’s a statement of respect. It’s one Texas titan tipping his hat to another. It reminds us that at the end of the day, all these genres are just different ways of telling the same stories about heartache, weather, and the long road home.
To truly appreciate the nuance, pay attention to the "walking" bass line in George's version. It’s the heartbeat of the song. While the guitars get the glory, that steady, rhythmic pulse is what keeps the "Flood" from becoming a mess. It’s disciplined. It’s professional. It’s quintessential George Strait.
Start by adding both versions to a "Texas Legends" playlist. You’ll find that they complement each other better than you’d expect. The transition from George’s smooth delivery into Stevie’s raw power provides a full-spectrum view of what makes Texas music the most resilient and influential regional sound in America.
Check out the live footage if you can find it. Seeing George stand there, calm as ever, while the band hammers out those blues chords is a masterclass in stage presence. He doesn't need to jump around. He just needs to sing. And he does it better than just about anyone else ever has.