Merle Haggard on America: ‘We Peaked Somewhere Around 1975′ (PBS Special Airs Tonight)

WSJ ^ | 7/21/2010 | Speakeasy

[mojito]

A few years ago, Merle Haggard was diagnosed with lung cancer and nearly became the latest country music legend to be felled by the unforgiving combination of hard living and age. Haggard beat the disease, returned to touring and now, at 73, he’s the subject of a PBS “American Masters” special airing tonight.

The documentary, “Merle Haggard: Learning to Live with Myself,” portrays a man trying to come to terms with a life that took him from a train-hopping delinquent to an ex-con to a country music superstar, thanks to hits like “Mama Tried” and “Okie from Muskogee.” Haggard has always been a deeply personal songwriter, re-working the major events of his life — his father’s early death, his hardscrabble childhood, the years he spent in San Quentin — again and again in his songs. And in the PBS film he’s surprisingly emotional — more tortured poet than rabble-rousing tough guy.

Speakeasy caught up with Haggard on tour in Canada to talk about the film and his new album, “I Am What I Am.”

[mojito]

I know a lot of folks don't like Merle's politics these days, and neither do I. And yes, the special is on PBS. I'm not too keen on them either.

But I do remember how Merle used to be, and I will be watching this "American Masters" segment tonight. I post this to give a heads up to other country music fans who might enjoy tuning in.

[TSgt]

America peaked in the 1950’s.

[Chi-townChief]

He probably means 1945.

[Frantzie]

Is he now a Dixie Chick who was too dumb to stop smoking?

[Soothesayer9]

So has Merle gone pro-gay like Willie Nelson has? God I hope not.

[Frantzie]

Is he now a Dixie Chick who was too dumb to stop smoking?

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

Just one more entertainer I have to try and separate what they do from what they say in order to try and enjoy what they do.

Shame he lost his sensibilities, but he does now get the pass of the old line "No fool like an old fool."

[for-q-clinton]

I think he means HE peaked in 1975. As people get old they reflect back to their prime as the best times for the country.

[andy58-in-nh]

I’ve always liked Merle for his blunt honesty, and I still do. He also wrote and performed a host of great songs whose emotional range far surpasses most of the cookie-cutter crap that today passes for “country” music on the radio. And no true country artist ever phrased a song as well.

[Bringbackthedraft]

As people get old they reflect back to their prime as the best times for the country. ................................ How true, but that’s because they also saw what happened post their prime.

[NRPM]

I saw him perform three or four years ago and it was a good concert. I was a little afraid that he might get into Bush-bashing but he didn’t.

[kbennkc]

I’ve always liked Merle for his blunt honesty

I heard him flat out tell Art Bell he had never been in prison, what he had heard and read was only PR hype. Blunt enough for me.

[dfwgator]

Can’t say I disagree with his sentiment, although with Reagan we tried to stem the decline.

[rbg81]

I can tell you the exact day we peaked: July 20, 1969—when we landed a man on the moon. After that, we listened to the Leftists, abandoned manned space exploration, and turned inward to fix “problems” here at home. Of course, the problems we sought to fix (like poverty) were largely unfixable, because they eminate from the human psyche. If we had gone into space (for real), a lot of current problems here on Earth would have been solved or rendered irrelevant. Liberals, of course, recoil at the thought of space travel. It is simply too good an escape route from their policies and it is too reminiscent of “frontier independence and adventure”.

IMHO, it speaks volumes that it is almost 40 years since the last moon shot and we are nowhere near returning to the moon, let alone going to Mars.

[a fool in paradise]

America before 1975?

That’s before we cut loose Jane Fonda and other traitors.

That’s before we began the slaughter of 50 million babies.

That’s before the Baby Boomers started to take over Congress and news rooms and academia.

[a fool in paradise]

Of course, the problems we sought to fix (like poverty) were largely unfixable, because they eminate from the human psyche.

Poverty will never be erradicated in America because we keep importing tens of millions of poor immigrants supposedly to do the work no one else wants to.

Pay people $20 to do a good job of cleaning toilets rather than $6. Problem solved.

[rbg81]

Pay people $20 to do a good job of cleaning toilets rather than $6. Problem solved.

---

Not quite. You can’t pay some people enough to do a good job, no matter what the cost. Some people are just terminally stupid or lazy. Not many, but some. Even if you gave one of these people $5M to make them “rich”, they would pi$$ it away in no time flat. As long as that is true, you will have poverty.

[cherry]

funny how these “stars” make their living off the common man of faith and loyalty to country, yet once they get their billions, belittle that same group...

[andy58-in-nh]

I never heard that, but it's surprising, considering he gave several interviews in the early 70's in which he openly talked about his time in prison, including a stint in San Quentin for a botched robbery. In fact, I recall that it was during a stretch in solitary confinement that he decided to turn his life around. Interesting and strange. He's not been shy about his past - at least in the past...

[Spirochete]

I can tell you the exact day we peaked: July 20, 1969—when we landed a man on the moon. After that, we listened to the Leftists, abandoned manned space exploration, and turned inward to fix “problems” here at home. Of course, the problems we sought to fix (like poverty) were largely unfixable, because they eminate from the human psyche. If we had gone into space (for real), a lot of current problems here on Earth would have been solved or rendered irrelevant. Liberals, of course, recoil at the thought of space travel. It is simply too good an escape route from their policies and it is too reminiscent of “frontier independence and adventure”. IMHO, it speaks volumes that it is almost 40 years since the last moon shot and we are nowhere near returning to the moon, let alone going to Mars.

Agree 100% on all points. I've bookmarked your reply. It neatly sums up everything I think about the rise of the modern liberal, and the current state of America in general and spaceflight in particular.