Merle Haggard Dead at 79

Taste of Country ^ | 4/6/16 | Sterling Whitaker

[MileHi]

Who’s gonna fill their shoes?

[MileHi]

That song is awesome, a part of me.

[Dartman]

I used to love hearing Merle sing.
Not too crazy about his musical path the last 20 years or so, but here’s one of my all time favourites. Daddy Frank.
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+daddy+frank&qpvt=youtube+daddy+frank&view=detail&mid=1BBAF9BBBF4FE91FD1961BBAF9BBBF4FE91FD196&FORM=VRDGAR

[beaversmom]

It’s a goodie. :)

[beaversmom]

"A week ago dad told us he was gonna pass on his birthday, and he wasn't wrong. A hour ago he took his last breath surrounded by family and friends. He loved everything about life and he loved that everyone of you gave him a chance with his music. He wasn't just a country singer.. He was the best country singer that ever lived."

--Ben Haggard
April 6, 2016

Source:
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBenHaggard/?fref=photo

[Flavious_Maximus]

“... He was the best country singer that ever lived.”

I will second that. The best ever.

[ETL]

Living on the road my friend,
Was gonna keep you free and clean
And now you wear your skin like iron,
And your breath as hard as kerosene

You weren’t your mama’s only boy,
But her favorite one it seems
She began to cry when you said goodbye,
And sank into your dreams

Pancho was a bandit boy,
His horse was fast as polished steel
He wore his gun outside his pants
For all the honest world to feel

Pancho met his match you know
On the deserts down in Mexico,
Nobody heard his dying words,
Ah but that’s the way it goes

All the Federales say
They could have had him any day
They only let him slip away
Out of kindness, I suppose

Lefty, he can’t sing the blues
All night long like he used to
The dust that Pancho bit down south
Ended up in Lefty’s mouth

The day they laid poor Pancho low,
Lefty split for Ohio
Where he got the bread to go,
There ain’t nobody knows

All the Federales say
We could have had him any day
We only let him slip away
Out of kindness, I suppose

The poets tell how Pancho fell,
And Lefty’s living in cheap hotels
The desert’s quiet, Cleveland’s cold,
And so the story ends we’re told

Pancho needs your prayers it’s true,
But save a few for Lefty too
He only did what he had to do,
And now he’s growing old

All the Federales say
We could have had him any day
We only let him go so long
Out of kindness, I suppose

A few gray Federales say
We could have had him any day
We only let him go so long
Out of kindness, I suppose

[ETL]

We don’t smoke marijuana in Muskogee
We don’t take our trips on LSD
We don’t burn our draft cards down on Main Street
‘Cause we like livin’ right, and bein’ free

We don’t make a party out of lovin’
But we like holdin’ hands and pitchin’ woo
We don’t let our hair grow long and shaggy
Like the hippies out in San Francisco do

And I’m proud to be an Okie from Muskogee
A place where even squares can have a ball
We still wave Old Glory down at the courthouse
And white lightnin’s still the biggest thrill of all

Leather boots are still in style for manly footwear
Beads and Roman sandals won’t be seen
And football’s still the roughest thing on campus
And the kids here still respect the college dean

And I’m proud to be an Okie from Muskogee
A place where even squares can have a ball
We still wave Old Glory down at the courthouse
And white lightnin’s still the biggest thrill of all

And white lightnin’s still the biggest thrill of all
(In Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA)

[LS]

I don’t know his politics, and a bunch of libs played for the White House. It was, after all, an honor.

[ETL]

I hear people talkin’ bad
About the way we have to live here in this country
Harpin’ on the wars we fight
An’ gripin’ ‘bout the way things oughta be

An’ I don’t mind ‘em switchin’ sides
An’ standin’ up for things they believe in
When you’re runnin’ down my country, man
You’re walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me

Yeah, walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me
Runnin’ down the way of life
Our fightin’ men have fought and died to keep

If you don’t love it, leave it
Let this song I’m singin’ be a warnin’
You’re runnin’ down my country, man
You’re walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me

I read about some squirrelly guy
Who claims, he just don’t believe in fightin’
An’ I wonder just how long
The rest of us can count on bein’ free

They love our milk an’ honey
But they preach about some other way of livin’
When you’re runnin’ down my country, hoss
You’re walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me

Yeah, walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me
Runnin’ down the way of life
Our fightin’ men have fought and died to keep

If you don’t love it, leave it
Let this song I’m singin’ be a warnin’
But you’re runnin’ down my country, man
You’re walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me

Yeah, walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me
Runnin’ down the way of life
Our fightin’ men have fought and died to keep

Yeah if you don’t love it, leave it
Let this song I’m singin’ be a warnin’
And you’re runnin’ down my country, man
You’re walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me

[Dante3]

RIP

[Hot Tabasco]

Never been a follower of country, thanks for posting that song...........kinda brings a tear to my old eyes.

[littleharbour]

I’ll add “Workin’ Man Blues” and “A Working Man Can’t Get Nowhere Today”

Who’s gonna fill their shoes? I think Willie’s the last one remaining.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xi3GgoLtlWk

[Hot Tabasco]

You guys just turned me into a Merle Haggard fan.......I’m gonna check out the local library and see what CD’s they have of him.........thanks

[cva66snipe]

Merle was looking haggard for years. I loved his earlier stuff, the latter not so much In concert, he was either stoned or just dismissive of the audience. As for Oakie from Muskogee, Merle later said he wrote it to make fun of unhip.

In the last few years he looked like he had some symptoms of Parkinson which would make pneumonia and complications a higher risk for him. As for Okie? LOL Charlie Daniels one of the most conservative artist out there wrote several spoofs. CDB earliest hit was Uneasy Rider a barroom brawl between a hippie and rednecks.

I liked his earlier stuff better also recorded with The Strangers but I also liked "Are the good times really over for good" as the best among his later.

[cva66snipe]

How does one get double pneumonia?

It means it's in both lungs. Believe it or not it's often just in one lung but even having it in one lung can kill.

[itsahoot]

Rainbow Stew

[Jet Jaguar]

See ya Merle.

You were one of a kind.

[cva66snipe]

Both lungs?

That and/or two different types at once.

[itsahoot]

One of the best ever. RIP.

Pushed aside by Randy Travis. Who is also in bad shape.