Sing Me Back Home: The Music Of Merle Haggard, an all-star concert event taping at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee will take place on Thursday, April 6, 2017 in honor of what would have been Merle’s 80th birthday and the one-year anniversary of his passing.
This star studded event just keeps growing!
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So in honor of the life of Merle Haggard, we have chosen some of our favorites for you to listen to.
RIP AND HAPPY HEAVENLY BIRTHDAY…
FOR FULL DETAILS READ: BLACKBIRD PRESENTS: SING ME BACK HOME…THE MUSIC OF MERLE HAGGARD
(Sources: The Boot, Blackbird & YouTube)
“Sing Me Back Home”
The warden led a prisoner down the hallway to his doom
I stood up to say good-bye like all the rest
And I heard him tell the warden just before he reached my cell
‘Let my guitar playing friend do my request.’ (Let him…)
Sing me back home with a song I used to hear
Make my old memories come alive
Take me away and turn back the years
Sing Me Back Home before I die
I recall last Sunday morning a choir from ‘cross the street
Came to sing a few old gospel songs
And I heard him tell the singers ‘There’s a song my mama sang.
Can I hear once before we move along?’
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
Sing Me Back Home before I die
“Wine Take Me Away”
Warm red wine you know that place where you take me some times
Where my caress have wings and fly right off my shoulder
Where I leave my cares behind and for a while find peace of mind
Help me friend of mine wine take me away.
Wine take me away where I can lose myself
Take me where I won’t even see the light of day
It’s my life and I wanna live it it’s my will and I wanna give it
Help me friend of mine wine take me away.
When my life becomes a grime and when I’m weary and tired
Then I’ll tell myself I need a short vacation
I gotta leave this lonely town and you’re the quickest way I found
Help me friend of mine wine take me away.
Wine take me away where I can lose myself
Take me where I won’t even see the light of day
It’s my life and I wanna live it it’s my will and I wanna give it
Help me friend of mine wine take me away.
Help me friend of mine wine take me away…
“Okie From Muskogee”
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
We like livin’ right, and bein’ free
We don’t make a party out of lovin’
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
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
Football’s still the roughest thing on campus
And the kids here still respect the college dean
WAnd 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.
“Today I Started Loving You Again”
Today I started lovin’ you again
And I’m right back where I’ve really always been
I got over you just long enough to let my heartache mend
Then today I started loving you again
What a fool I was to think I could get by
With only these few million tears I cried
I should have known the worst was yet to come
And the crying time for me had just begun
Today I started loving you again
I’m right back to where I’ve really always been
I got over you just long enough to let my heartache mend
Then today I started loving you again
“I Think I’ll Just Stay Here And Drink”
Could be holding you tonight
Could be doing wrong or start doing right
You don’t care about what I think
I think I’ll just stay here and drink
Hey, putting you down, don’t square no deal
Least you’ll know the way I feel
Take all the money in the bank
I think I’ll just stay here and drink
Listen close and you can hear
That loud jukebox playing in my ear
Ain’t no woman gon’ change the way I think
I think I’ll just stay here and drink
Hurtin’ me know don’t mean a thing
Since love ain’t here, don’t feel no pain
My mind ain’t nothing but a total blank
I think I’ll just stay here and drink
“Working Man Blues”
It’s a big job just gettin’ by with nine kids and a wife
But I’ve been workin’ man, dang near all my life but I’ll keep workin’
Long as my two hands are fit to use
I’ll drink my beer in a tavern
Sing a little bit of these working man blues
I keep my nose on the grindstone, I work hard every day
I might get a little tired on the weekend, after I draw my pay
Then I’ll go back workin’, come Monday morning I’m right back with the crew
I’ll drink a little beer that evening
Sing a little bit of these working man blues
Sometimes I think about leaving, do a little bummin’ around
I want to throw my bills out the window catch a train to another town
I’ll go back working, I gotta buy my kids a brand new pair of shoes
I drink a little beer in a tavern
Cry a little bit of these working man blues, here comes that workin’ man
Well, hey, hey, the working man, the working man like me
I ain’t never been on welfare, ‘n that’s one place I won’t be
I’ll be working long as my two hands are fit to use
I’ll drink my little beer in a tavern
Sing a little bit of these working man blues, this song for the workin’ man
“It’s All Going To Pot”
Well, it’s all going to pot
Whether we like it or not
The best I can tell
The world’s gone to hell
And we’re sure gonna miss it a lot
All of the whiskey in Lynchburg, Tennessee
Is just couldn’t hit the spot
I gotta hundred dollar bill, friend
You can keep your pills
‘Cause it’s all going to pot
That cackle-bobble-head-in-a-box
Must think I’m dumb as a rock
Readin’ daily news
While I’m kickin’ off my shoes
It’s scarin’ me outta my socks
The Red Headed Stranger I’m not
But buddy, let me tell you what
If you ask ol’ Will, he’ll tell ya here’s the deal
Friends, it’s all goin’ to pot
Well, it’s all going to pot
Whether we like it or not
The best I can tell
The world’s gone to hell
And we’re all gonna miss it a lot
All the whiskey in Lynchburg, Tennessee
Just couldn’t hit the spot
I gotta hundred dollar bill
You can keep your pills, friend
It’s all goin’ to pot
Well I thought I had found me a girl
Sweetest little thing in the world
But all my jokes went up in smoke
When I caught her makin’ eyes at Merle
He said, sweet little honey
With her eye on your money
She’s gonna take every penny you got
I said she’s never gonna get it
‘Cause I’ve already spent it
Merle, it’s all goin’ to pot
It’s all going to pot
Whether we like it or not
The best I can tell
The world’s gone to hell
And we’re all gonna miss it a lot
All the whiskey in Lynchburg, Tennessee
Just couldn’t hit the spot
I gotta hundred dollar bill
You can keep your pills, friend
It’s all going to pot
I gotta hundred dollar bill
You can keep your pills, friend
‘Cause it’s all goin’ to pot
“Are All The Good Times Really Over”
I wish a buck was still silver
It was back when the country was strong
Back before Elvis, before Vietnam war came along
Before the Beatles and yesterday
When a man could still work and still would
Is the best of the free life behind us now
And are the good times really over for good?
And are we rolling downhill like a snowball headed for hell
With no kinda chance for the flag or the liberty bell?
Wish a Ford and a Chevy
Would still last ten years like they should
Is the best of the free life behind us now
And are the good times really over for good?
I wish coke was still cola
And a joint was a bad place to be
It was back before Nixon lied to us all on T.V
Before microwave ovens when a girl could still cook, and still would
Is the best of the free life behind us now
Are the good times really over for good?
Are we rolling downhill like a snowball headed for hell
With no kinda chance for the flag or the liberty bell
Wish a Ford and a Chevy
Would still last ten years like they should
Is the best of the free life behind us now
And are the good times really over for good?
Stop rolling downhill like a snowball headed for hell
Stand up for the flag and let’s all ring the liberty bell
Let’s make a Ford and a Chevy
That would still last ten years like they should
‘Cause the best of the free life is still yet to come
And the good times ain’t over for good
“That’s The Way Love Goes”
I’ve been throwing horseshoes
Over my left shoulder
I’ve spent most all my life
Searching for that four-leafed clover
Yet you ran with me
Chasing my rainbows
Honey, I love you, too
And that’s the way love goes
That’s the way love goes, babe
That’s the music God made
For all the world to sing
It’s never old, it grows
Losing makes me sorry
You say, “honey, now, don’t worry”
Don’t you know I love you too?
And that’s the way love goes
That’s the way love goes, babe
That’s the music god made
For all the world to sing
It’s never old, it grows
Losing makes me sorry
You say, “honey, don’t worry”
Don’t you know I love you too?
And that’s the way love goes, oh
What’s your favorite Merle Haggard song? Have you ever seen him in concert? He was one talented man!
RIP And Happy Heavenly Birthday!