This song was actually biographical for Haggard. He did spend time in San Quentin prison. He was arrested the first time at age 11. It was something he tried to keep quiet when he first broke into country music but Johnny Cash convinced him it would be better to be honest about it. Coincidencely it was a performance by Cash at the prison where Haggard was incarcerated that inspired him to get into music.
The lyrics: The first thing I remember knowing Was a lonesome whistle blowing And a young gun's dream of growing up to ride On a freight train leaving town… Was true as the train tracks were behind his house in Oildale, Ca, (just outside of Bakersfield). I grew up north of those tracks and not too far from Buck Owens studio on Chester Avenue, some time after Merle left Oildale.
If you want older country, you HAVE to listen to Tammy wynette!! One of the queens of country music!! Her BIG song is Stand by your man!! That is a MUST!!! Amber will LOVE it!! Other songs I would recommend from her are D.I.V.O.R.C.E. and I don't wanna play house.
My absolute favorite song by Merle is Silver Wings. He has such a tremendous library of work, but that is my favorite. Never heard a bad song from him.
Merle was from California, but his dad was from Oklahoma, so his song, "Okie from Muskogee", he wrote from his dad's perspective. His dad died young, & Merle was a handful to his widowed mom, so "Momma Tried" is biographical.
Merle was a prisoner at San Quentin and in the audience when Johnny Cash held a concert there in the late 50’s it inspired him to turn his life around.Years later he would guest on Cash’s tv show
Yes, the classic album, "Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison" was from that concert. Haggard heard it live. The album changed Johnny Cash's career. The concert changed Haggard's life.
@@resurrectionwaiting9294 Johnny Cash's "Folsolm Prison" album was recorded in 1968, which was years after Merle had gotten out of jail. At the time of that concert, and the release of the album, Merle was already having his own hit records.
A side note: some time after release from prison and after he started the music business, Merle was completely pardoned for his offenses to the law by Ronald Reagan, who was the governor of California at the time.
Odd bit of trivia. John Green, the novelist who wrote The Fault in Our Stars, was a self-described troubled child and said that at his wedding, he danced with his mom to this song.
Great reaction! This is actually a true story. Merle was on only child, and his Dad died of a stroke. He kept getting into trouble with the law, so they threw him in San Quentin. He said he actually appreciated his prison time because it finally made him straighten up.
"Okie..." "Are the Good Times Really Over", and "Walkin on the Fightin Side of Me" are patriotic staples, "Branded Man" is about what life is like for an ex-con after release, and "Big City", "I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink", and "Workin Man Blues" are blue collar anthems. Enjoy the ride down this rabbit hole. Personally, I would recommend "...Fightin Side of Me" next. Thanks for the remembrances. Blessed Be
Triple thumbs up for Jacksons recommendations. I would also add, Daddy Frank (the guitar man) and If We Make It Through December, a couple of other great story songs.
Merle is often referred to as the poet of the common man. You really can’t go wrong with anything by him. Sing Me Back Home. Silver Wings. I personally really like Misery and Gin, although he didn’t write it.
Happy Mother's day to Amber. It's clear you're a great mom. When everyone else can just say flat out " she's a good mother, I know. " that says a lot about ya. Same for dads. Good song pick. Makes me remember how many gray hairs and lines in her face I've caused. I swore I'd add no more, but she's gonna worry no matter what !
My dad was born in Pittsburgh during the depression. I was raised on three kinds of music, big bands, Frank Sinatra, and classic country of Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, the Statler Brothers, and Kenny Rogers. Love love love this song and your video.
Haggard hit the scene in the mid-60's....at a time when Nashville was "Country-politan" (smooth songs, lush strings, etc), Haggard and Buck Owens came along with "Bakersfield Sound" (driving, honky-tonk, working man)...check out songs by Owens....also, "Think I'll Just Sit Here and Drink" by Haggard...they paved the way for Waylon and Willie in the 70's and Hank Jr in the 80's...👍
@@sharonsmith2771 "Country-politan" was Nashville's deliberate shift to go mainstream and pop, and away from the twang, fiddle and steel guitar of earlier years....examples are easy to cite...Jim Reeves (He'll Have To Go), Eddy Arnold (Make The World Go Away), Patsy Cline (I Fall To Pieces), Charlie Rich (Behind Closed Doors), Lynn Anderson (Rose Garden), etc....and all of those songs are favorites of mine...That Country-politan was the stated goal of record producers like Chet Atkins and Owen Bradley is easily documentable by their own statements....many artists became weary of the "sugar and syrup" and wanted a more driven, traditional style, thus the rise of the Bakersfield Sound which laid the foundation for the "outlaw country" of the 70s and 80s....
@@rickboone1090 cool. I dont agree with all, I dont hear any lush strings in I Fall To Pieces or Behind Closed Doors. I hear plenty of piano from Charlie. Same with Rose Garden. Im up with all the info you are stating. A big country fan through my father. Have been listening my whole 61 years. What did you think of the Ken Burns doco? Amazing work i thought.
@@sharonsmith2771 Sharon... Fall to Pieces - listen to slow walking bass, background vocals, easy-going piano (much different than hillbilly of late 40's and 50's).....Behind Closed Doors...strings as support for piano at :05-:11 and similar spots throughout song...again a much more polished form of country music (not hillbilly, Bakersfield or outlaw).....Rose Garden....intro is studio orchestra and in 2nd verse and after... I have seen some of Burns' documentary....what I saw was good...👍
@@rickboone1090 still dont agree with your description of lush strings.I get what you are trying to say, but a slow walking bass background vocals and easy going piano are NOT lush strings. Frank Sinatra and others of his ilk used orchestras that indeed used lush strings. Do you have the 1972 Will The Circle Be Unbroken 3 disc or 3 record album? Recorded live in the studio. That album sums up what country music is for me. An all time favourite. I like Waylon and Willie. Three fingers whiskey etc Love Mr and Mrs Cash. Hank Snow is huge in our house. Different strokes i suppose.
Merle Haggard and Buck Owens were pioneers of the 'Bakersfield Sound,' of which this is an excellent example. Simple percussion, tooled-back bass, and guitar led.
Merle hit those licks on his Fender Telecaster. Would like to have the Haggard signature model, but don't have 8 grand to throw at a guitar. RIP Merle.
I’ve always seen Merle with an acoustic during this song, even though he was an absolutely fantastic guitarist. Roy Nichols played lead for him, but I heard James Burton did a lot of the studio work, probably not this early, though.
One of the things that made Merle so good was his band, The Strangers, led by the Late and Great Roy Nichols on lead electric guitar!! Roy was so good that he could take an out of tune guitar and play the fool thing in tune!! Merle and the Strangers were one of the Best you'll EVER hear!!
This song always makes me cry because I've lived this song with my middle son for the last 28 years. He's spent more years in prison than out. But, I don't stop hoping and praying next time he gets out (in 2 years) it will be the last time.
I'm proud to say I grew up listening to old Merle Haggard thanks to my dad and for Christmas one year I got him tickets to see him He didn't say anything, all he did was give me a hug and thanked me
Merle has some great songs. Merle, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Hank Williams, Jr are all considered outlaw country music. Merle actually spent time in prison.
@@copperhopperwarren4788 Merle was a prisoner in San Quinton when Johnny Cash did a concert for the prisoners. Merle was in the audience and it inspired him to change his ways.
@@copperhopperwarren4788 merle did pass time In prison he had his 21th birthday in prison and he saw Johnny Cash in San Quentin Prison and that’s what inspired him to be a musician
@@myrrhfishify7743 yes he did. From Hank Jr’s song, “All M Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down,” “…and Kriis (Kristofferson), he is a movie star and he is a movie star and he’s moved off to LA…” proves your point.
Merle was,a big fan of Jimmie Rogers - The Singing Brakeman- , and he did an album of covers of Rogers' songs. The album is, "Same Train, Different Time". It is one of his Best!
The very definition of old school country is Hank Williams, Sr. Songwriter and singer who had no comparison, now or anytime . One of my favorites of his is, "Kah- li-jah" and "I Saw the Light", but so many others, too. Hank played on my daddy's hi-fi every day when I was a kid in the 1950's, and now I can understand why.
Thank you so much for playing this! Such great memories of playing this tune in my first Country band! He is such a great artist👍🎶Happy Mother's day to you Amber!
“ Sear Old Daddy” rest his soul, left my mom a “Heavy Load” , I think his father passed, also another “Mama” song, Hall Of Fame For MMA’s, Glenn Campbell
Sadly many young men (and women) have fallen into that mold, and broke their momma's heart, while ruining their own life. And yes Amber, my mom used to play this song.
80's - 90's country is amazing as well. Toby Keith, Martina McBride, Sara Evans, John Anderson, Mavericks, Brooks and Dunn, Trisha Yearwood, Alan Jackson....etc. They all grew up on country music, but rock as well. All amazing artists.
Merle Haggard was not only an amazing singer, but he was an incredible musician! His style of guitar playing was very unique! Farmers Daughter is another favorite and “If We Make it Through December”. Love y’all!!
Merle was just soooo great. The list of great Merle songs is miles long. A few of my faves are The Farmers Daughter, Daddy Frank the Guitar Man, Are the Good Times Really Over, and so many more. He also has done some amazing covers. He did a whole album of songs by the great Jimmie Rogers. Also a tribute to Bob Wills (one of the all time greats of Western Swing). Merle also did a cover of a Johnny Paycheck song called The Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised. Merle was a brilliant guitar player and also played the fiddle a bit. There truly isn't a band or singer who does any country music who can't do you a Merle song off the top of their head. Oh Happy Mother's Day Amber!
Love Love Love Merle Haggard! I've listen to him since I was a small child. I am now 65 and still love his music! I literally cried when he passed away. ♥
Happy Mother's Day to Amber and all expecting and already mothers. A good county singer that helped a lot of mothers put their babies to sleep when they are fussy. Don Williams,-(I believe in you). Keep up the good work 😎👍.
Happy mother's day, Amber! And a big shout out to my late grandmother, who raised 6 kids on her own after my grandfather went out for cigarettes and didn't come back until 13 years later. My mother and her younger brother, aged 15 and 12 1/2 at the time and the only kids still living at home, told him to get out or they would put him out. They had to put him out. Dumbass showed back up 7 years later. This time it was my dad putting him out. He didn't come back after that.
Love Merle Haggard. Grateful Dead do a great cover along with many others. Hey! I'm the Middle Child! Hmm. Right on, Jay! Great reaction tune for Mother's Day. Thanks!
KISS - no make up/live “I still love you” th-cam.com/video/Q94QkRRQKG4/w-d-xo.html Billy Vera (great Sax song) Greatest broken heart song “What would you do” th-cam.com/video/O2ur063fMhs/w-d-xo.html Tom Jones “The Voice” th-cam.com/video/FIJpPJPrqw8/w-d-xo.html
I absolutely love Merle. He is without question on the Mount Rushmore of the country genre. But as someone else mentioned, the Grateful Dead covered this for decades and more than did it justice. And I know you like the Dead, Amber. Here they are in 1971 covering Mama Tried: th-cam.com/video/PWKwTkL-gvY/w-d-xo.html Enjoy!
Merle was in San Quentin. He was pardoned by then Governor Ronald Reagan. Turned out pretty good. Watch his impressions of other singers. My favorite is That's the way Love Goes, Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Star, Silver Wings, and Misery and Gin.
Merle has 3 sons who often and sing together. Noah, Marty and Ben. They are all amazing but my favorite is Ben. He is really awesome. Happy Mother's Day!!
Being an old hippie I have to recommend the Grateful Dead cover of this song. They covered quite bit of country back in the day. In their own style of course. Peace!
Could that have something to do with Jerry Garcias beginnings. He was a Master Banjo picker, and toured with the legendary Bluegrass artist Bill Monroe.
Happy Mother's Day Amber this is a great selection for today. Your interest in all kinds of music is quite inspirational. Thanks for the reaction to this classic.
90's Country! Suzy Bogguss, who I'm currently doing some cement yard/garden art stuff for, is great..."Aces" is her biggest hit I think. Of course there is Pam Tillis, Patty Loveless, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Kathy Mattea, Trisha Yearwood (Garth Brooks' wife) Leeann Rimes, Faith Hill, etc etc...this decade REALLY belonged to the women...
Merle has 4 very talented sons that followed in their Dads shoes. One of his sons Scott had the honor last year of playing on the same stage in Muskogee where his Dad first played Okie from Muskogee years before. He shared just how special it was to perform where his Dad had.
When my oldest Granddaughter was born she would cry and nothing helped. Until one day I played Conway Twitty. As soon as she heard him say, Hello Darlin, she stopped. We played it on repeat a lot 🙂. My next Granddaughter was the same way with this song. We worry about her 😂
Merle was a great songwriter & had one of the best, most distinctive voices in country music. His story is truly inspiring. His duets with former wife, Bonnie Owens, are worth a look.
There is a bit of Merle's truth to this song. Check this out: "After being convicted of attempted robbery as a teenager, Haggard spent several years in California’s San Quentin State Prison, where he heard Johnny Cash play and was talked out of trying to escape by his fellow inmates, who thought he had a future on the outside as a successful musician." Now... Okie in Muskogee was released in '69. I was in high school in Tulsa in '70 and the "We don't smoke marijuana in Muskogee" line just killed us! (there was a LOT of weed there at the time. Never burned my draft card, but I did have long hair. lol
I truly love you guys. Merle's family migrated west to California from Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl. His father worked on the railroad and died when Merle was only 9 years old. He wrote so many songs about his mother, Flossie: "Mama's Hungry Eyes" about living in a labor camp while his father looked for work. Merle didn't have that Nashville country twang. His voice was totally unique, as illustrated by "Loneliness Is Eating Me Alive," "I Threw Away the Rose," "Long Black Limousine," and especially "Today I Started Loving You Again."
The truth is that Merl Haggard was in prison when Johnny Cash played Folsom Prison. Merl was in the audience. That concert gave him hope to turn his life around.
This song is reflective of his life. He was the only child of a widow and was doing a 15 year sentence when he turned 21 in prison. He was in San Quinton prison in 1968 and saw Johnny Cash live when he perfromed there.
Merle Haggard was released from San Quentin in 1960 at the age of 22 or 23. So he really did turn 21 in prison. He was from Bakersfield and at the time "the Bakersfield sound" was competing with Nashville. Another example of the Bakersfield sound was Buck Owens. You guys should check him out. Merle Haggard even married Buck's ex-wife, Bonnie Owens.
I got locked up over some gun trouble when I was still 20, so turned 21 in prison. Years later, this song came on when I was somewhere with my dad, and he started singing along. I said, "Man, you don't anything about Merle Haggard." Dad was like, "Shoot, that's 'Mama Tried'; I used to sing that to your mom to mess with her when you were in prison!"🤪
The Way I Am is a great one that really showcases his vocal warmth. Edit: Merle did INSANELY good impersonations of other singers (Marty Robbins, Hank Snow, Johnny Cash, Buck Owens). Those are worth seeking out.
This song is based on truth in his life, he did spend time in prison. I like the fact he took responsibility for his actions and didn’t blame it on anyone else like so many do today.
Happy Mother's Day Amber thanks for the effort and your time and thank you guys for the song choice with this iconic songs which i heard it everywhere and in some movies too
So classic. We used to play this in my band and the audience always loved it. A couple others by him that also reference prison but are tearjerkers and just so beautiful are, Branded Man, and, Sing Me Back Home. Absolutely incredible.
This one is so dear to my heart. ❤️ I have 'almost' been close to kind of crying about a thousand times hearing this song over the many years. Since I was a kid. Doesn't get any better. Thanks for doing this video!
My favorite male country singer of all time! A legend. Check out The Farmer's Daughter, Fighting Side of Me, Silver Wings, Daddy Frank, I think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink, Today I Started Loving You Again!
Happy Mother's Day! Thanks for giving us some Merle. I recommend Merle's song "Are the Good Times Really Over for Good". It could possibly be as relevant today as it was when he originally sang it.
Merle Haggard has always been in my music collection. I grew up listening to songs on the radio or when my family took trips we always had a Merle Haggard 8 track ready to go in. Among my favorites I hope you react to are "Sing Me Back Home" , his version of "The Green Green Grass of Home", "Carolyn".. There are so many great songs by this man..
You absolutely need to do “are the good times really over”. Such a cool song about comparing how good things used to be to now and reminiscing about the past. Or try “the way I am”. His singing is beautiful in it. It’s about not changing who are you are or what you’re doing, for better or for worse. It’s great.
Merle Haggard was a huge influence on Clint Black, who was an absolutely fantastic singer/songwriter, mainly in the 90s, but he's still around. He has a ton of great songs like Nothing's News, Killin' Time, No Time to Kill, Loving Blind, Burn One Down, State of Mind, Where Are You Now, We Tell Ourselves, A Better Man...good lord the list goes on. Nothing's News is probably my favorite, and Where Are You Now another great one. He had a lot of songs that were much more cerebral than the typical country song as well. He has plenty of songs about relationships and stuff like that, but he also has a lot of songs about much more abstract concepts like the passage of time or the workings of our memories. He is brilliant.
He lived , it wrote it, and he sang it. Roy Nichols was his guitar player. a legend. One of the Bakersfield bunch that made Merle and especially Buck Owen's sound.
Great reaction! Happy Mothers Day. Im still hoping to hear the Judds, esp today. R.I.P., Naomi. Love and prayers to Wynonna, Ashley and family. Naomi wrote River of Time, as well as a book, by the same name.
This song was actually biographical for Haggard. He did spend time in San Quentin prison. He was arrested the first time at age 11. It was something he tried to keep quiet when he first broke into country music but Johnny Cash convinced him it would be better to be honest about it. Coincidencely it was a performance by Cash at the prison where Haggard was incarcerated that inspired him to get into music.
No it wasn't performed at Folsom. It hadn't been written yet.
The lyrics: The first thing I remember knowing
Was a lonesome whistle blowing
And a young gun's dream of growing up to ride
On a freight train leaving town…
Was true as the train tracks were behind his house in Oildale, Ca, (just outside of Bakersfield). I grew up north of those tracks and not too far from Buck Owens studio on Chester Avenue, some time after Merle left Oildale.
Yes and no. He was in prison, he did see Johnny Cash there and it inspired him. Cash also got him pardoned. But this story was his cell mate's.
If you want older country, you HAVE to listen to Tammy wynette!! One of the queens of country music!! Her BIG song is Stand by your man!! That is a MUST!!! Amber will LOVE it!! Other songs I would recommend from her are D.I.V.O.R.C.E. and I don't wanna play house.
@@1perfectpitch No one said anything about Folsom. My comment clearly states San Quentin.
My absolute favorite song by Merle is Silver Wings. He has such a tremendous library of work, but that is my favorite. Never heard a bad song from him.
Agreed.
Every Christmas as a kid we would listen to his Christmas album and loved it
Love that one as well
Yesss!!
Amen
Merle was from California, but his dad was from Oklahoma, so his song, "Okie from Muskogee", he wrote from his dad's perspective. His dad died young, & Merle was a handful to his widowed mom, so "Momma Tried" is biographical.
I'm Californian (and from LA) and Merle was and is still the best. So many classic country songs, and a voice like Karo syrup.
Well, he was from Bakersfield which was essentially Oklahoma transported to the Central Valley.
@@btgiv6009 Yep.
@@btgiv6009 yes there is some connection there ..
Yep...lots of Country Western singers in Bakersfield... Buck Owens for one...
Probably the most iconic opening notes in country music history.
roger that
Merle was a prisoner at San Quentin and in the audience when Johnny Cash held a concert there in the late 50’s it inspired him to turn his life around.Years later he would guest on Cash’s tv show
Yes, the classic album, "Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison" was from that concert. Haggard heard it live. The album changed Johnny Cash's career. The concert changed Haggard's life.
Old school Country is Jimmy Rogers. See the short movie made with him performing 3 of his classic songs. He IS the father of Country Music.
I never knew this. Thanks for that bit of trivia I didnt know I needed to know 🥰
@@resurrectionwaiting9294 His story is told in the first episode along with the Carter Family
@@resurrectionwaiting9294 Johnny Cash's "Folsolm Prison" album was recorded in 1968, which was years after Merle had gotten out of jail. At the time of that concert, and the release of the album, Merle was already having his own hit records.
A side note: some time after release from prison and after he started the music business, Merle was completely pardoned for his offenses to the law by Ronald Reagan, who was the governor of California at the time.
Odd bit of trivia. John Green, the novelist who wrote The Fault in Our Stars, was a self-described troubled child and said that at his wedding, he danced with his mom to this song.
Great reaction! This is actually a true story. Merle was on only child, and his Dad died of a stroke. He kept getting into trouble with the law, so they threw him in San Quentin. He said he actually appreciated his prison time because it finally made him straighten up.
And he saw Johnnie Cash perform for his prison.
He got sent there because him and buddy tried to break into a store that was still open
Great reaction? The thumb nail says so funny😮
Merle wasn’t an only child. He had siblings
@user-wk2od5pq3g My mistake. I didn't know that. Thanks, and Happy New Year!
Love Merle Haggard, such a beautiful voice.
"Okie..." "Are the Good Times Really Over", and "Walkin on the Fightin Side of Me" are patriotic staples, "Branded Man" is about what life is like for an ex-con after release, and "Big City", "I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink", and "Workin Man Blues" are blue collar anthems. Enjoy the ride down this rabbit hole. Personally, I would recommend "...Fightin Side of Me" next. Thanks for the remembrances. Blessed Be
Triple thumbs up for Jacksons recommendations. I would also add, Daddy Frank (the guitar man) and If We Make It Through December, a couple of other great story songs.
@@richardfromtexas Yes, absolutely the best of the best! Never forget 'Silver Wings'! Good job @Merl JacksonII !!!
Johnny Paycheck's "Only Hell my Momma ever raised" is another great one along these same lines. More Merle, Blue Bayou, The Way I am, Rambling Fever
Merle is often referred to as the poet of the common man. You really can’t go wrong with anything by him. Sing Me Back Home. Silver Wings. I personally really like Misery and Gin, although he didn’t write it.
“Silver Wings” is a great Merle song.
Wow! This song hits so close to home! Mom was left alone to raise 6! God bless her and my Dad!
Happy Mother's day to Amber. It's clear you're a great mom. When everyone else can just say flat out " she's a good mother, I know. " that says a lot about ya. Same for dads. Good song pick. Makes me remember how many gray hairs and lines in her face I've caused. I swore I'd add no more, but she's gonna worry no matter what !
My dad was born in Pittsburgh during the depression. I was raised on three kinds of music, big bands, Frank Sinatra, and classic country of Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, the Statler Brothers, and Kenny Rogers. Love love love this song and your video.
Haggard hit the scene in the mid-60's....at a time when Nashville was "Country-politan" (smooth songs, lush strings, etc), Haggard and Buck Owens came along with "Bakersfield Sound" (driving, honky-tonk, working man)...check out songs by Owens....also, "Think I'll Just Sit Here and Drink" by Haggard...they paved the way for Waylon and Willie in the 70's and Hank Jr in the 80's...👍
mid 60s country "lush strings and smooth songs" yeah nah! i dont know what country you were listening to my dude.Clue me in,i want to know?
@@sharonsmith2771 "Country-politan" was Nashville's deliberate shift to go mainstream and pop, and away from the twang, fiddle and steel guitar of earlier years....examples are easy to cite...Jim Reeves (He'll Have To Go), Eddy Arnold (Make The World Go Away), Patsy Cline (I Fall To Pieces), Charlie Rich (Behind Closed Doors), Lynn Anderson (Rose Garden), etc....and all of those songs are favorites of mine...That Country-politan was the stated goal of record producers like Chet Atkins and Owen Bradley is easily documentable by their own statements....many artists became weary of the "sugar and syrup" and wanted a more driven, traditional style, thus the rise of the Bakersfield Sound which laid the foundation for the "outlaw country" of the 70s and 80s....
@@rickboone1090 cool. I dont agree with all, I dont hear any lush strings in I Fall To Pieces or Behind Closed Doors. I hear plenty of piano from Charlie. Same with Rose Garden. Im up with all the info you are stating. A big country fan through my father. Have been listening my whole 61 years. What did you think of the Ken Burns doco? Amazing work i thought.
@@sharonsmith2771 Sharon...
Fall to Pieces - listen to slow walking bass, background vocals, easy-going piano (much different than hillbilly of late 40's and 50's).....Behind Closed Doors...strings as support for piano at :05-:11 and similar spots throughout song...again a much more polished form of country music (not hillbilly, Bakersfield or outlaw).....Rose Garden....intro is studio orchestra and in 2nd verse and after...
I have seen some of Burns' documentary....what I saw was good...👍
@@rickboone1090 still dont agree with your description of lush strings.I get what you are trying to say, but a slow walking bass background vocals and easy going piano are NOT lush strings. Frank Sinatra and others of his ilk used orchestras that indeed used lush strings. Do you have the 1972 Will The Circle Be Unbroken 3 disc or 3 record album? Recorded live in the studio. That album sums up what country music is for me. An all time favourite. I like Waylon and Willie. Three fingers whiskey etc Love Mr and Mrs Cash. Hank Snow is huge in our house. Different strokes i suppose.
One of my all time favorites, Merle Haggard is a Legend! ✌❤🎶
Merle Haggard and Buck Owens were pioneers of the 'Bakersfield Sound,' of which this is an excellent example. Simple percussion, tooled-back bass, and guitar led.
OMGee I listened to this song soooo many times back in the day.
Merle hit those licks on his Fender Telecaster. Would like to have the Haggard signature model, but don't have 8 grand to throw at a guitar. RIP Merle.
That sound is from a steel Guitar. Either type can make that sound.
His sons are good But i think Ben has it over all with his guitar skills
I’ve always seen Merle with an acoustic during this song, even though he was an absolutely fantastic guitarist. Roy Nichols played lead for him, but I heard James Burton did a lot of the studio work, probably not this early, though.
One of the things that made Merle so good was his band, The Strangers, led by the Late and Great Roy Nichols on lead electric guitar!! Roy was so good that he could take an out of tune guitar and play the fool thing in tune!! Merle and the Strangers were one of the Best you'll EVER hear!!
The Grateful Dead does a fantastic version of Mama Tried! Jerry’s guitar on it is smokin!
They also did Sing Me Back Home live.
Merle Haggard Wrote this song
This song always makes me cry because I've lived this song with my middle son for the last 28 years. He's spent more years in prison than out. But, I don't stop hoping and praying next time he gets out (in 2 years) it will be the last time.
“Old flames can’t hold a candle to you” or “silver wings” nuff said. Both will warm your heart.
I'm proud to say I grew up listening to old Merle Haggard thanks to my dad and for Christmas one year I got him tickets to see him
He didn't say anything, all he did was give me a hug and thanked me
Merle has some great songs. Merle, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Hank Williams, Jr are all considered outlaw country music. Merle actually spent time in prison.
not sure about prison... but fairly certain thzt the rest of "the gang" did a fair amount of time in county/stste institutions.
🙄
@@copperhopperwarren4788 Merle was a prisoner in San Quinton when Johnny Cash did a concert for the prisoners. Merle was in the audience and it inspired him to change his ways.
@@copperhopperwarren4788 merle did pass time In prison he had his 21th birthday in prison and he saw Johnny Cash in San Quentin Prison and that’s what inspired him to be a musician
Kris Kristofferson is in there too.
@@myrrhfishify7743 yes he did. From Hank Jr’s song, “All M Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down,” “…and Kriis (Kristofferson), he is a movie star and he is a movie star and he’s moved off to LA…” proves your point.
Merle was,a big fan of Jimmie Rogers - The Singing Brakeman- , and he did an album of covers of Rogers' songs. The album is, "Same Train, Different Time". It is one of his Best!
The very definition of old school country is Hank Williams, Sr. Songwriter and singer who had no comparison, now or anytime . One of my favorites of his is, "Kah-
li-jah" and "I Saw the Light", but so many others, too. Hank played on my daddy's hi-fi every day when I was a kid in the 1950's, and now I can understand why.
I hate to be that person, but for them to be able to find it the spelling is Kaw-liga not kah-li-jah
Thank you so much for playing this! Such great memories of playing this tune in my first Country band! He is such a great artist👍🎶Happy Mother's day to you Amber!
“ Sear Old Daddy” rest his soul, left my mom a “Heavy Load” , I think his father passed, also another “Mama” song, Hall Of Fame For MMA’s, Glenn Campbell
Sadly many young men (and women) have fallen into that mold, and broke their momma's heart, while ruining their own life. And yes Amber, my mom used to play this song.
80's - 90's country is amazing as well. Toby Keith, Martina McBride, Sara Evans, John Anderson, Mavericks, Brooks and Dunn, Trisha Yearwood, Alan Jackson....etc. They all grew up on country music, but rock as well. All amazing artists.
Merle Haggard was not only an amazing singer, but he was an incredible musician! His style of guitar playing was very unique! Farmers Daughter is another favorite and “If We Make it Through December”. Love y’all!!
Must listen to "The Fightin' Side of Me" great message for these times.
When I was little my dad lived Merle. I have wonderful memories of him playing guitar and singing this song.
You can’t go wrong with merle… the lyrics of his songs are really well written.
Happy Mothers day Miss Amber. I hope your day was filled with spoils and love! 😊💐🍫🥂
Merle was just soooo great. The list of great Merle songs is miles long. A few of my faves are The Farmers Daughter, Daddy Frank the Guitar Man, Are the Good Times Really Over, and so many more. He also has done some amazing covers. He did a whole album of songs by the great Jimmie Rogers. Also a tribute to Bob Wills (one of the all time greats of Western Swing). Merle also did a cover of a Johnny Paycheck song called The Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised. Merle was a brilliant guitar player and also played the fiddle a bit. There truly isn't a band or singer who does any country music who can't do you a Merle song off the top of their head. Oh Happy Mother's Day Amber!
Merle was also a great mimic. He could do Cash, Buck Owens and Hank Snow to a tee.
Love Love Love Merle Haggard! I've listen to him since I was a small child. I am now 65 and still love his music! I literally cried when he passed away. ♥
Happy Mother's Day to Amber and all expecting and already mothers. A good county singer that helped a lot of mothers put their babies to sleep when they are fussy. Don Williams,-(I believe in you). Keep up the good work 😎👍.
Don Williams, absolutely! Great songwriter and storyteller.
Happy mother's day, Amber! And a big shout out to my late grandmother, who raised 6 kids on her own after my grandfather went out for cigarettes and didn't come back until 13 years later. My mother and her younger brother, aged 15 and 12 1/2 at the time and the only kids still living at home, told him to get out or they would put him out. They had to put him out. Dumbass showed back up 7 years later. This time it was my dad putting him out. He didn't come back after that.
Had to tune in immediately! Merle is one of the GOATs.
Love Merle Haggard. Grateful Dead do a great cover along with many others. Hey! I'm the Middle Child! Hmm. Right on, Jay! Great reaction tune for Mother's Day. Thanks!
“The Fighting Side of Me” is a country classic from Merle!
KISS - no make up/live
“I still love you”
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Billy Vera (great Sax song)
Greatest broken heart song
“What would you do”
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Tom Jones “The Voice”
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I absolutely love Merle. He is without question on the Mount Rushmore of the country genre. But as someone else mentioned, the Grateful Dead covered this for decades and more than did it justice. And I know you like the Dead, Amber. Here they are in 1971 covering Mama Tried: th-cam.com/video/PWKwTkL-gvY/w-d-xo.html
Enjoy!
The Grateful Dead covered this song superbly…
Also sing me back home
"That's the Way Love Goes" - beautiful guitar work!
I would love to see more reactions to Merle. Beware...the rabbit hole with him is deep.
Merle was in San Quentin. He was pardoned by then Governor Ronald Reagan. Turned out pretty good. Watch his impressions of other singers. My favorite is That's the way Love Goes, Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Star, Silver Wings, and Misery and Gin.
Merle has 3 sons who often and sing together. Noah, Marty and Ben. They are all amazing but my favorite is Ben. He is really awesome. Happy Mother's Day!!
This was also a favorite song of the Grateful Dead. They would play it often.
Being an old hippie I have to recommend the Grateful Dead cover of this song. They covered quite bit of country back in the day. In their own style of course. Peace!
Yeah I heard a few country songs that they did, and they were all good! 😀
Sing me back home
Could that have something to do with Jerry Garcias beginnings. He was a Master Banjo picker, and toured with the legendary Bluegrass artist Bill Monroe.
Happy Mother's Day Amber this is a great selection for today. Your interest in all kinds of music is quite inspirational. Thanks for the reaction to this classic.
For an old country song, I recommend Charlie Pride's first hit, "Snakes Crawl at Night". Everything about it is great!
Merle’s music would blow y’all Away!! Master Songwriter, Guitarist, Singer.
90's Country! Suzy Bogguss, who I'm currently doing some cement yard/garden art stuff for, is great..."Aces" is her biggest hit I think. Of course there is Pam Tillis, Patty Loveless, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Kathy Mattea, Trisha Yearwood (Garth Brooks' wife) Leeann Rimes, Faith Hill, etc etc...this decade REALLY belonged to the women...
Yes “Aces” for sure!! Would be great for female Friday… how about all country female Friday (just once) ???? 😀
Merle has 4 very talented sons that followed in their Dads shoes. One of his sons Scott had the honor last year of playing on the same stage in Muskogee where his Dad first played Okie from Muskogee years before. He shared just how special it was to perform where his Dad had.
Not one bad song from Merle! One of the greatest!
Silver wings, tonight the bottle let me down, swinging doors, my favorite memory of all. All great Merle songs with a great sound.
When my oldest Granddaughter was born she would cry and nothing helped. Until one day I played Conway Twitty. As soon as she heard him say, Hello Darlin, she stopped. We played it on repeat a lot 🙂. My next Granddaughter was the same way with this song. We worry about her 😂
Funny!!!
My favorite memory really shows off his voice..He's the G.O.A.T
A great song for either Mother’s or Father’s Day is ‘Mom and Dad’s Waltz’ by Lefty Frizzell. Willie Nelson did a great cover of it too.
Merle was a great songwriter & had one of the best, most distinctive voices in country music. His story is truly inspiring. His duets with former wife, Bonnie Owens, are worth a look.
There is a bit of Merle's truth to this song. Check this out:
"After being convicted of attempted robbery as a teenager, Haggard spent several years in California’s San Quentin State Prison, where he heard Johnny Cash play and was talked out of trying to escape by his fellow inmates, who thought he had a future on the outside as a successful musician."
Now...
Okie in Muskogee was released in '69. I was in high school in Tulsa in '70 and the "We don't smoke marijuana in Muskogee" line just killed us! (there was a LOT of weed there at the time.
Never burned my draft card, but I did have long hair. lol
My favorite Merle Haggard song is "Going Where the Lonely Go." Brings tears every time I hear it
Oh God the feels. So sorry for all the things I did to hurt you Mom.
I truly love you guys. Merle's family migrated west to California from Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl. His father worked on the railroad and died when Merle was only 9 years old. He wrote so many songs about his mother, Flossie: "Mama's Hungry Eyes" about living in a labor camp while his father looked for work. Merle didn't have that Nashville country twang. His voice was totally unique, as illustrated by "Loneliness Is Eating Me Alive," "I Threw Away the Rose," "Long Black Limousine," and especially "Today I Started Loving You Again."
Merle Haggard was my Daddy’s favorite artist…I grew up listening to his music and I still listen to it! My favorite!!
The truth is that Merl Haggard was in prison when Johnny Cash played Folsom Prison. Merl was in the audience. That concert gave him hope to turn his life around.
This song is reflective of his life. He was the only child of a widow and was doing a 15 year sentence when he turned 21 in prison. He was in San Quinton prison in 1968 and saw Johnny Cash live when he perfromed there.
Merle Haggard was released from San Quentin in 1960 at the age of 22 or 23. So he really did turn 21 in prison. He was from Bakersfield and at the time "the Bakersfield sound" was competing with Nashville. Another example of the Bakersfield sound was Buck Owens. You guys should check him out. Merle Haggard even married Buck's ex-wife, Bonnie Owens.
That guitar with the unique sound is a steel guitar, a staple of country music!
sadly not used nearly as much in today's pop/countryside
I love most all of his songs.
“Sing Me Back Home” is at the top.
It really tugs at your heart.
I got locked up over some gun trouble when I was still 20, so turned 21 in prison.
Years later, this song came on when I was somewhere with my dad, and he started singing along.
I said, "Man, you don't anything about Merle Haggard."
Dad was like, "Shoot, that's 'Mama Tried'; I used to sing that to your mom to mess with her when you were in prison!"🤪
Merle Haggard is LEGEND. His catalog is LEGEND.
Happy Mothers Day, Amber. Loved his voice!
The Way I Am is a great one that really showcases his vocal warmth.
Edit: Merle did INSANELY good impersonations of other singers (Marty Robbins, Hank Snow, Johnny Cash, Buck Owens). Those are worth seeking out.
A favorite!
My mom would play and sing it all the time!
This song is based on truth in his life, he did spend time in prison. I like the fact he took responsibility for his actions and didn’t blame it on anyone else like so many do today.
The greatest country music artist who ever walked the earth. There are literally 100s of great Merle Haggard songs.
Merle is the best if you take the whole package. He was a virtuoso on his instruments , his song writing & then his singing ! 😀
Happy Mother's Day Amber thanks for the effort and your time and thank you guys for the song choice with this iconic songs which i heard it everywhere and in some movies too
Great one! The guitar you loved on the instrumentsl break was a dobro.
So classic. We used to play this in my band and the audience always loved it. A couple others by him that also reference prison but are tearjerkers and just so beautiful are, Branded Man, and, Sing Me Back Home. Absolutely incredible.
Favorite country singer then and still now. We grew up on this music. Never gets old.
This one is so dear to my heart. ❤️ I have 'almost' been close to kind of crying about a thousand times hearing this song over the many years. Since I was a kid. Doesn't get any better. Thanks for doing this video!
For an encore, please consider "Swingin Doors" It is the bomb. 🙂👍
My favorite male country singer of all time! A legend. Check out The Farmer's Daughter, Fighting Side of Me, Silver Wings, Daddy Frank, I think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink, Today I Started Loving You Again!
Happy Mother's Day! Thanks for giving us some Merle. I recommend Merle's song "Are the Good Times Really Over for Good". It could possibly be as relevant today as it was when he originally sang it.
Merle Haggard has always been in my music collection. I grew up listening to songs on the radio or when my family took trips we always had a Merle Haggard 8 track ready to go in. Among my favorites I hope you react to are "Sing Me Back Home" , his version of "The Green Green Grass of Home", "Carolyn".. There are so many great songs by this man..
My favorite Merle Haggard song is Silver Wings which was our favorite Marine song played all the time when was over in Okinawa, Japan back in 1979.
The sound y’all liked and found so distinctive is a steel guitar, there’s no other instrument that can make that sound.. it’s my favorite instrument.
You absolutely need to do “are the good times really over”. Such a cool song about comparing how good things used to be to now and reminiscing about the past.
Or try “the way I am”. His singing is beautiful in it. It’s about not changing who are you are or what you’re doing, for better or for worse. It’s great.
Always on a Mountain when I Fall. Another excellent tune by Mr. Haggard.
Merle Haggard was a huge influence on Clint Black, who was an absolutely fantastic singer/songwriter, mainly in the 90s, but he's still around. He has a ton of great songs like Nothing's News, Killin' Time, No Time to Kill, Loving Blind, Burn One Down, State of Mind, Where Are You Now, We Tell Ourselves, A Better Man...good lord the list goes on.
Nothing's News is probably my favorite, and Where Are You Now another great one. He had a lot of songs that were much more cerebral than the typical country song as well. He has plenty of songs about relationships and stuff like that, but he also has a lot of songs about much more abstract concepts like the passage of time or the workings of our memories. He is brilliant.
Merle Haggard is my favourite country singer. He wrote great songs…they had good stories to them.
My all-time favorite country singer. Thanks for the reaction.
He lived , it wrote it, and he sang it. Roy Nichols was his guitar player. a legend. One of the Bakersfield bunch that made Merle and especially Buck Owen's sound.
Great reaction! Happy Mothers Day. Im still hoping to hear the Judds, esp today. R.I.P., Naomi. Love and prayers to Wynonna, Ashley and family. Naomi wrote River of Time, as well as a book, by the same name.
One of my favorite songs of all. Mama's Hungry Eyes is a sad one too. I grew up on stuff like this, and Elvis.