Merle Haggard and the Strangers - Pride in What I Am

Okay, so like maybe one other person here listens to classic country. Many a thread of mine have sunk to the bottom. Merle doesn't get quite the respect that Johnny Cash got, but they're from the same California country music scene, and Cash was a big influence on him. I heard this song quite a bit growing up, and lyrically I think it's pretty moving (though it does sound like it could be a Muppet tune).



Things I learned in hobo jungle
Were things they never taught me in a class room
Like where to find a hand out
While bummin' through Chicago in the afternoon

Hey I'm not braggin' or complainin'
I'm just talkin' to myself man to man
This ol' mental fat I'm chewin' didn't take a lotta doin'
But I take a lot of pride in what I am

I guess I grew up a loner
I don't remember ever havin' any folks around
But I keep thumbin' through the phonebooks
And looking for my daddy's name in every town

And I meet lots of friendly people
But I'll always wind up leavin' on the lam
Hey where I've been or where I'm goin' didn't take a lotta knowin'
But I take a lot of pride in what I am

I never travel in a hurry
Because I got nobody waitin' for me anywhere
Home is anywhere I'm livin'
If it's sleepin' on some vacant bench in City Square

Or if I'm workin' on some road gang
Or just livin' off the fat of our great land
I never been nobody's idol but at least I got a title
And I take a lot of pride in what I am

I never been nobody's idol
But at least I got a title
I take a lot of pride in what I am
I take a lot of pride in what I am

Yeah, I'll bite.

One of the best things my father did was to expose us (his kids) to all kinds of music. Country music is what we were reared on, my mom liked 50's rock and roll and my brothers and sister introduced me to mainstream pop, r&b, soul and everything else. It was my sister who unknowingly introduced me to Prince.

Back to the topic at hand: I was raised on Haggard and Jones, Marty Robbins and Charlie Rich. Buck Owens and Loretta Lynn... I have fond memories of these songs playing in the background of my childhood life.

Merle always stood out to me as being one of the best. (well, He and Marty Robbins) His songs were straight to the heart of what he knew. His story is quite interesting as well - as he writes in "Mama Tried":

"I turned twenty-one in prison doing life without parole, No one could steer me right but Mama tried, Mama tried... Mama tried to raise me better, but her pleading I denied. That leaves only me to blame, cuz Mama tried."

Or from "Sing Me Back Home":

"The warden led a prisoner down the hallway to his doom
And I stood up to say goodbye like all the rest
Then I heard him tell the warden, 'There's a song my mama sang
Can my guitar playin' friend do my request?
Let him sing me back home
With a song I used to hear
Make my old memories come alive
Take me away
And turn back the years
Sing me back home before I die..."

He wrote a lot about being in prison, cuz he was sentenced for like twenty years or so, for a burglary gone wrong. He was in the process of changing his life with music when he got busted. He must have impressed some pretty good people with some pretty good ties, cuz, it was Govenor Reagan who pardoned him and set him free... That was back in the sixties, when shit like that actually happened.

Today, he's in his 70's and still touring and still sounding great! I saw him a few years back at the Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles and he's going to perform at the Fox Theatre in Bakersfield, CA. sometime this year, I hear. In Bakersfield, they recently named a highway after him where the airport runs from 7th Standard Road to Merle Haggard Way. It's much deserved after all, he's from this area and has definitely made a difference in the West-Coast Country sound.

I never thought I'd log in to find a Merle Haggard thread that I didn't start myself... kudos to all orgers who make the effort to listen to more than just one genre of music...

My two cents.

June7 said:

The "gone wrong" part is actually pretty funny (or embarrassing). He and his fellow burglars were breaking into a restaurant but were too drunk to realize it was mid-morning. The restaurant was already open and serving customers.


I have the following albums, and they're all great:


Strangers (1965)


Swinging Doors & the Bottle Let Me Down (1966)


Mama Tried (1968)


Pride in What I Am (1969)

Merle Haggard is definitely one of my favourite artists. I'm far too tired to go on at any length about why I love him so much - I'll just say that if there wasn't such a completely unjustified bias against country music I absolutely believe he would be ranked with Dylan as one of the greatest songwriters and performers of the last 50 years.

Dig this one from George Jones. One of the biggest country tear-jerkers in the sad song style of country music:

He Stopped Loving Her Today

He said, "I'll love you 'til I die"
She told him you'll forget in time
But as the years went slowly by
She still prayed upon his mind

He kept her picture on the wall
Went half crazy now and then
He still loved her through it all
Hoping she'd come back again...

Kept some letters by his bed
Dated 1962
And he had underlined in red
Every single "I love you"...

I went to see my friend today
Oh, but I didn't see no tears
All dressed up to go away
First time I'd seen him smile in years

He stopped loving her today
They placed a wreath upon his door
And soon they'll carry him away
He stopped loving her today

(spoken)
You know, she came to see him one last time
Oh, we all wondered if she would
And it kept running through my mind
This time, he's over her for good

He stopped loving her today
They placed a wreath upon his door
And soon they'll carry him away
He stopped loving her today...

Probably one of the most moving ballads in country music, or in any kind of music. I remember hearing this as a child, then singing it as an adult when I was in a country band. Brought a tear to many eyes many times... if you get a chance to hear it, check it out, or iTune it.