hi chipslovescm...you will love the album(smile)

Hi Patty (and others) - hope I will start listening to Merle's album that he made with George Jones (thanks Patty!!)!!!

Hi chiplovescm....good to see you here. I kinda run out of material on Merle's song(lol)....But there is a what song is on your mind today thread. I have been absent lately and need to get back in here and at least post a song of Merle's.....he has so many good ones, just like George Jones.

Thanks to Patty (and maybe Josh Turner), have decided to join the group here!!

Leonard

This was a song about Tommy Collins and it became a hit at the time country music was going through it's "urban cowboy" phase...when country was trying to sound more pop than country. Merle stayed true to his roots during this time.

Source: Capitol Records, Merle Haggard's Box Collecton: Down Every Road(1962-1994)

KERN RIVER
JUST A LITTLE DETOUR, BUT STILL A STORY BEHIND THE SONG. FROM CMT ARCHIVES
http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1606326/merle-haggard-zings-ex-label-chief-in-accepting-award-from-country-radio-broadcasters.jhtml

In Nashville Tuesday night (March 3) to accept a career achievement award from Country Radio Broadcasters, the feisty superstar used the occasion to lash out at the former head of his one-time label, Epic Records.

Prompting the outburst was Emmylou Harris' wistful performance of Haggard's self-penned 1985 hit, "Kern River," a tune she ranked as her Haggard favorite. "The first time I heard that song," she told the audience assembled in the Renaissance Hotel's Grand Ballroom, "I almost drove off the road because it's just so good."

Her praise of "Kern River" evidently ignited Haggard's memories of a man who didn't like the song at all. "I want to say that there was this other guy -- I can't remember his name -- he was head of CBS, and he made fun of my song. He said, 'Who in the hell knows where Kern River is at?'"

Someone in the audience shouted out the name Haggard had apparently forgotten -- Rick Blackburn, who helmed CBS Records (of which Epic was a division) from 1980 to 1988.

On another occasion, Haggard recalled that Blackburn said, "I'd like to tell you one more time. I don't like 'Kern River.'" Haggard continued, "And I said, 'That's about the third time you've told me that.' He said, 'It's more like five times.' And I said, 'Well, I'm about five times short of telling you to go to hell.'"

By now, the crowd was roaring with laughter. But Haggard wasn't through yet.

"I said, 'Who do you think you are? You're the son-of-a-bitch that sat at that desk over there and fired Johnny Cash. Let it go down in history that you're the dumbest son-of-a-bitch I've ever met.'"

[Blackburn, who dropped Cash from the label in 1986, the year after "Kern River" came out, took Haggard's tirade in stride. Reached Wednesday (March 4) at his home in Nashville, Blackburn told CMT.com, "He'll get more pleasure out of that [comment] than I'll get grief."]

That's The Way Love Goes

Wtirtten by Lefty Frizzell and Whitey Shafer. Merle recorded this song in 1973 for Epic Records, but was never released at this time because Johnny Rodriquez had beat Merle to the punch by recording this record for Capital Records.

Source: Capitol Records, Merle Haggard's Box Collecton: Down Every Road(1962-1994)

The Way It Was In '51

Merle's tribute to two artist that had an impact on him, but passed away a few months before writing this song, Bob Willis and Lefty Frizzell.

Source: Capitol Records, Merle Haggard's Box Collecton: Down Every Road(1962-1994)

Mama Tried

This song according to Capitol Records, Merle Haggard's Box Collecton: Down Every Road(1962-1994)is a self explanatory. This song hit #1 at the end of Aug 1968 and stayed there for 1 month. It was featured that fall in a movie called Killers Three in which Merle played a lawman.

Source: Capitol Records, Merle Haggard's Box Collecton: Down Every Road(1962-1994)

I Started Loving You Again

This was the 'B" side of The Legned of Bonnie and Clyde. When the DJ's thought the Bonnie and clyde had run it's course, they started playing the flip side of the record and this song took off. This song was written by Merle on a paper sack in a motel room and has been covered by many other artist.

Source: Capitol Records, Merle Haggard's Box Collecton: Down Every Road(1962-1994)

The Legend Of Bonnie and Clyde

Merle wrote this song after seeing the movie Bonnie and Clyde.

Source: Capitol Records, Merle Haggard's Box Collecton: Down Every Road(1962-1994)

Sing Me Back Home

Haggard tells the story about a friend he had in prison who devised a scheme to escape prison. He told Merle he was welcome to come along, but he also told Merle not to ruin his life by taking him up on the offer. The friend had told Merle if the police caught him he was "going to hold court in the streets." Merle decided to stay put in prison and when the friend was caught, he did in fact "hold court in the street" and one state police officer was killed. The friend was sent back to prion and later executed....many years later Merle wrote this song for "this friend and those like him."

Source: Capitol Records, Merle Haggard's Box Collecton: Down Every Road(1962-1994)

'Branded Man'

In Merle's Box Colletion set, Down Every Road, 1962-1994, Bonnie Owens talks about the turmoil Merle was in about his background and how being in prison might ruin his career. Bonnie quotes Merle "I'm afraid someday I'm going to be out there...and there is going to be some convict...some prisoner that was in there the same time I was, stand up-and they are gonna be about third row down-and say,'what do you think you're doing 45200?'"
thus in April 1967 'Branded Man' was written as a direct result of this inner turmoil.

Branded Man became Merle'ssecond #1 hit.

From the link above there was a story about 'The Fighting Side Of Me'.

This song prompted pickets lines to form outside of concerts Merle gave. He called peace pacifist at the height of the Vietnam War "squirrely" and then wrote, 'If you don't love it, leave it'. Despite the protest, the song made the country charts on Feb 2, 1970-was #1 for the week of Mar 14th and Merle's 9th #1 song.