American Songwriter Throwback August 1984 Cover Story: Merle Haggard—His Songs Reflect the Man

Take a pinch of every song Merle Haggard has written, put it in a huge black pot, and simmer over an open fire until well blended. The result: the embryonic stage of the persona of Merle Haggard. The songs he writes can have as diverse a topic as “Today I Started Loving You Again,” which has been recorded by over 400 artists, or “Okie from Muskogee,” a song that started out as a joke and ended up being Haggard’s calling card, so to speak.

Then there was “Mama Tried,” “If We Make It Through December,” “That’s All in the Movies,” “The Old Man from the Mountain” and “Big City.” And don’t forget “Irma Jackson,” “Branded Man” and “Jesus, Take a Hold.” All these, plus hundreds of others could be simmered together to get to know the man behind these diverse topics, put into a song… or, “speaking with a melody,” as Haggard says of his songwriting.

“I’ve never planned a song or written from a theme,” Haggard says of his music. “I’ve never just been one to write a song about anything. Whatever mood I’m in… I sometimes say the songs are handed to me, because (when I write it) it’s the first time I’ve heard it myself.

“I don’t have a favorite place to write. I never sit down in a secluded place and write. Usually, it happens when I’m in the midst of something and everything is going on around me. That’s when something will come to me. You better get it down right then… if you don’t, you’re in trouble.”

Perhaps that is one of the secrets of Haggard’s writing. He doesn’t manufacture a time and place to write, so his lyrics, melodies, and meanings don’t come across as manufactured either. The words come from the heart of a man who, according to Willie Nelson, “Is actually like the guy he’s singing to. He is one of them and that’s why people can relate to him. He’s had the problems they’ve had. He still has them every day, just as we all do.”

The only problem Haggard alluded to in conversation for this story is that he is ready to get off the road so that he can devote full-time to his songwriting.

“Tell them to keep cutting my song so I can afford to get off the road,” he joked, adding that, the excitement of learning that someone is going to cut one of your songs never diminishes. When told that many songwriters would like to have a Merle Haggard cut before he decides to leave the road, Haggard admits there are so many good songs and songwriters that it’s virtually impossible to record a song by everybody who would want you to.

“I have the same feelings,” he reveals. “When someone cuts your song, there’s always such a good feeling and of course, you have the personal satisfaction of having someone like what you’ve written and then someone of that stature of George Jones or Willie Nelson cuts one of your songs. I think there’s a personal feeling when they acknowledge your work. It’s a good feeling. I sure appreciate it. It’s the same when I record one of their songs.”

Even though Haggard’s prone to record his own material and has consistently hit the No. 1 spot with many of those self-penned tunes, he is open to recording songs by other writers, if they meet his criteria.

Admitting he may be more critical of songs submitted just because he’s a songwriter, Haggard says, “I take a hard look at songs submitted for me to record. Everybody looks for that hit—something that will get everybody’s attention,” he goes on to explain what he looks for in a song that he would record.

“You want to make sure the singing is the way you want it, to come across on the record. You certainly want something where you don’t have to change your style, something you can phrase properly, and something that will suit your image. Something everybody can hear you singing and you have to be able to relate to the song.”

In evaluating songwriters of today, Haggard says, for the most part, he thinks they write about current happenings in their lives—the basic day-to-day feelings they go through. And he thinks they probably stay in pretty close touch with the public who buys what they write. As a singer-songwriter, Haggard has tended to study the history of the music of which he’s a very prominent part.

“All my life I’ve been interested in not just the music, but where the music came from, how it came to be, and where those who found it actually found it,” he says. “During the last 20 years, when I get into music myself, it got to be a natural thing for me to research it all even further.”

Haggard’s influences include Jimmie Rodgers, Bob Wills, and Lefty Frizzell, all men who played their music for the enjoyment of themselves and anyone else who cared to sit and listen. Haggard’s music is the same way. He’s quoted as saying he’s not in the music business for the glamour or fame, but to play the music and be around people he’d admired for years. “I’d like my musical career to be based totally on my artistic ability and my talent,” he says.

In 1977, Haggard joined the three above-mentioned men as a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, in Nashville, Tennessee. “Okie from Muskogee” was the Academy of Country Music Song of the Year in 1969. He was named Songwriter of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association International in 1969, and in 1970 was the Music City News Songwriter of the Year. Although it’s his earlier works that have won the songwriter awards, later songs like “Big City” and “Rainbow Stew” have made pronounced statements on relevant topics. “Leonard” was itself a tribute to a great songwriter (Tommy Collins) and “Going Where the Lonely Go” is a poignant song about emotions everyone has felt at one time or another. These and other songs show Haggard’s continued understanding of the feelings and emotions of those for whom he sings. Again a quote, this time from Bob Allen in an article for Esquire: “Practically no one is better than Haggard at capturing in metaphor, the bleary-eyed angst and dark revelations of the soul that lie beyond the second six-pack…”

The fact that Haggard is a songwriter with such depth may be traced to the fact that he generally writes about real-life situations in which he has been involved, thus those feelings written into the song and sung on stage or in the studio, are very real to him. It might also stem from the fact that Haggard has always been interested in writing.

“I think I’ve always wanted to be a writer ever since I was a kid,” he recalls. “I’ve tried to write songs all my life. I can’t remember the first time I actually wrote a song, but I was young. I was influenced by people I heard. You get your favorites and you just try to write like them. I got some help later from Fuzzy Owens and Tommy Collins who taught me to structure songs and taught me how to write. They were very important people to me and very helpful.”

While his songs give millions of people enjoyment, any songwriter will tell you that being a songwriter is not easy work. What is it that keeps Merle Haggard writing songs?

“First, you get to say what you think,” he answered. “You can express your feelings and become more aware of yourself. It’s kind of like therapy sessions sometimes. Kind of like the book (Sing Me Back Home) was like going to a psychiatrist. You reach in and find your own feelings and your own thoughts. Whatever I write is what I’m thinking at the time.”

Haggard is not only a good songwriter, but one of the great stylists in music today. His delivery of the songs he writes gives them just that much more depth, and his interpretation of the lyrics of others is usually not a disappointment to the writer. As far as Haggard is concerned, however, those early inclinations continue to prevail.

“I hope to be remembered as a songwriter,” he says, matter-of-factly. “I hope I can keep on doing things that people will continue to accept and want to hear. I’m proud and very pleased with what I’m doing right now.”

What he’s doing right now is just another part of the persona of Merle Haggard. With each song he writes and sings, he’s growing and learning more about himself. And in turn, he’s teaching those who listen a little more about themselves too.