Merle Haggard: 5 Songs to Remember Him By

Merle Haggard died on April 6, 2016 –his 79th birthday –but his songslive on. He serenaded listeners for decades, creating what came to be known as “outlaw countryâ€9d as he moved fromthe lush “Nashville Soundâ€9d of mainstream country to a “Bakersfield Soundâ€9d full of twangy guitars and fiddles.He recorded38 No. 1 hits and landednumerous accolades, frommultiple Grammy awards to a placein the Country Music Hall of Fame. Here are five songs to remember him by.

“Mama Triedâ€9d

“Mama Triedâ€9d reflectssome of MerleHaggard’s own experiences growing up. When he was 9, his father died and his motherFlossie was left to raise him. He grew more rebellious;lyrics like “Dear old Daddy, rest his soul... left my mom a heavy loadâ€9d echo those troubledyears.Clearly, though, hismother’s efforts weren’t wasted, as her son grew up to be one of the most loved voices in country music.

“Big Cityâ€9d

Haggard co-wrote“Big Cityâ€9d with his lifelong friend and tour bus driver Dean Holloway.In fact, the song was inspired by something Holloway said to him while they were stopped in Los Angeles for a performance. “Dean was sitting there minding the bus. When I asked how he was doing, Dean said, ‘I hate this place. I’m tired of this dirty old city,’â€9d Haggard said in an interview. “â€98This dirty old city’â€9dsort of caught me...The feeling resonated because it was a time in America when things were breaking down, especially in cities.â€9d

“Branded Manâ€9d

Released in July 1967, “Branded Manâ€9d is one of many instances when Haggard opened up to audiencesabout his troubled past. As a young manhe spent time in multiple jails, including San Quentin prison. Notably, it was at San Quentinthat Johnny Cash played his first-ever prison concert to an audience that Haggard was part of. That performance inspired the young inmate topursue music. “When he walked away, everyone in that place had become a Johnny Cash fan,â€9d he said of the prison concert.

“Sing Me Back Homeâ€9d (performed with Willie Nelson)

Like “Branded Man,9d“Sing Me Back Homeâ€9d touches on the theme of prison. Yetthesong’s lyrics arerelatable to anyone who’smade mistakes and wishes to go back in time:

“Sing me back home, the song my mama sang
Make my old memories come alive
Take me away and turn back the years
Sing Me Back Home before I die.â€9d

“That’s the Way Love Goesâ€9d

Haggard recorded his version ofLefty Frizzell and Sanger D. Shafer’s “That’s the Way Love Goesâ€9d in 1983 whilein the midst of divorcing country singer Leona Williams, the third of his five wives. Bittersweetyet hopeful, Haggard sings from the heart about a man who never found his four-leafed clover, but found someone to chase rainbows with him.

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