Merle Haggard Trivia

1. According to Billboard Magazine's country singles chart, what was Merle's first top ten record?

From Quiz A Tribute To The Hag

Answer: (My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers

"(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers" peaked at number ten on the Billboard country singles chart in early 1965. Pleased with its success, Merle named his backup band The Strangers. The song was written by Liz Anderson, mother of Lynn Anderson. Merle went on to record several of her songs.

From Quiz More On The "Hag"

Answer: Mama's Prayers

Another "Hag" song with a bit of reality in it. While on tour one night, the driver of the bus swerved to miss a drunk driver that was in their lane, and shook everyone up enough to cause Merle to write this song. If you listen to the song it is a tribute to his mother, and how she always prayed for him, and how he always knew that God was with him thanks to his mother.

From Quiz Merle Haggard - The Okie From Muskogie

Answer: Mama Tried

..."and no one could change my mind but mamma tried". This song tells the story of the hellion he was growing up, and how his momma tried to turn him down the right path. The first part of the chorus tells how unsuccesful she was..." and I turned 21 in prison doin' life without parole, and no one could steer me right, but momma tried".

From Quiz Merle Haggard

Answer: 'Sing me Back Home'

From Quiz A Tribute To The Hag

Answer: An inmate in a prison

Having done time for his participation in an armed robbery Merle was no stranger to a prison cell. The song became the title track of one of his albums and was also the title of his autobiography.

From Quiz Tulare Dust

Answer: Montana

"Turn me loose, set me free, somewhere in the middle of Montana. And gimme all I got comin' to me" This song was on 1981's "Big City" album, and was a number one hit on Billboard's Hot Country Singles. "Big City" is sung by Iris Dement. Most of the reviews I've seen of this album cite her performance as the outstanding one of the collection. Dement has what I can only describe as an old fashioned country music voice - it reminds me of the voices on my parents' old recordings from the '30s and '40s.

From Quiz More On The "Hag"

Answer: George Jones

..."C.C Waterback, and one tequila sunrise, one's for my aching head, the other's for my bloodshot eyes..." Nothing like a good Haggard and Jones song to get the redneck blood pumping, and the alcohol flowing. This is one of the many songs put out by this legendary country duo.

From Quiz Merle Haggard - The Okie From Muskogie

Answer: Okie from Muskogie

..."And I'm proud to be an Okie from Muskogie". His signature song, where he paints a wonderful picture of small town life in the town he grew up in, where people still leave their doors unlocked and the keys still in their car,s and still wave at their neighbors when they drove by. Man are those days ever gone!

From Quiz Merle Haggard

Answer: mirrors

From Quiz Tulare Dust

Answer: But it ain't made

"A Working Man Can't Get Nowhere Today" from the 1977 album of the same name. An uneven album with no really big hits on it, it never really went anywhere, but this is a pretty good song, with more than a tinge of bitterness. It got to number 16 on the US country charts. It's performed on "Tulare Dust" by Peter Case. Case is an eclectic musician, a former member of The Plimsouls. His "Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John" was nominated for a Best Traditional Folk Album Grammy in 2007.

From Quiz More On The "Hag"

Answer: Soldier's Last Letter

..."Then the mother's old hands began to tremble, as she fought against tears in her eyes, but they came unashamed, for there was no name, and she knew that her soldier had died..." If this song don't jerk a tear from your eye, then you have no heart. A moving song about a mother receiving a final letter from her son in the Vietnam war, but instead of sorrow, she feels pride in her son for the sacrifice he made for his country. The song ends with the mother praying to God to watch over all the sons fighting, and to keep America free. A very relevant song for today, wouldn't you say.

From Quiz Merle Haggard - The Okie From Muskogie

Answer: Fighting Side of Me

This song he wrote during the Vietnam war era; it reflected his disgust and anger towards the draft dodging hippies of the day who were burning draft cards and refusing to fight for their country. The very next line of the song truly expresses his views on the whole subject... "They love our milk and honey, but they preach about another way of living, so when you're running down this country hoss, you're walking on the fighting side of me". God Bless America!

From Quiz Merle Haggard

Answer: 'What Have you got Planned Tonight Diana?'

From Quiz A Tribute To The Hag

Answer: A Tribute To The Best Damn Fiddle Player In The World

Six of the remaining members of Bob Wills' band The Texas Playboys joined Merle's band The Strangers for the recording of this album. The album was released in 1970 and was Merle's 13th studio album.

From Quiz Tulare Dust

Answer: Angie

"Today was Angie's birthday I guess it slipped your mind I tried twice to call you But no answer either time But the postman brought a present I mailed some days ago I just signed it love from mama So Angie wouldn't know." A heartbreaking song about a man trying to raise his family after his wife runs out on him. Dwight Yoakum sings this one, and does the expected fine job. Yoakum followed in Haggard's footsteps in the Bakersfield sound, and has put out some great honky-tonk music over the years.

From Quiz More On The "Hag"

Answer: Rainbow Stew

... "Well I'll be drinking that free bubble up, and eating that rainbow stew..." Just another fun loving, feel good song from the "Hag".

From Quiz Merle Haggard - The Okie From Muskogie

Answer: Sing Me Back Home

This is a song inspired by real events during his 18 month stay in San Quentin prison for robbery. It is about a condemned man Merle befriended, who was put to death while Merle was in prison. In his autobiography, Merle mentions that this song is what he pictured his friend would have done or said had they walked him past Merle's cell.

From Quiz Merle Haggard

Answer: Misery and Gin

From Quiz A Tribute To The Hag

Answer: Movin' On

"Movin' On" was another number one country hit for Merle. He wrote it as the theme song for the TV series of the same name. The show ran for two seasons. It starred Claude Akins and Frank Converse as two truck drivers.

From Quiz Tulare Dust

Answer: Blind

A song about a a family band with a deaf mama and a blind Daddy Frank, this one went to number one on the US Country charts in 1971. It was on the "Let Me Tell You About a Song" album. Robert Earl Keen and the Sunshine Boys perform it on this album - a fine singer-songwriter from Texas.

From Quiz More On The "Hag"

Answer: Harold's Super Service

...."And he'd say gimme fifty cents worth of regular, check my oil too if you don't mind, put some air in my tires wont ya mister, and wash my windows too if you have time"... Merle has a live album on which he does a bunch of impersonations, and performs this song for the one and only time on an album, about a guy who works at a service station, and the one customer who always bugs him. This question is really for the die hard true Merle Haggard fan, so cudos to you if you got it right.

From Quiz Merle Haggard - The Okie From Muskogie

Answer: Amber Waves of Grain

If I remember correctly he sang this at the first farm aid concert, and had a rousing ovation from the crowd. The song talks about how the U.S was sending all this aid to foreign countries, yet during the farm crisis in the 80's the small farmers were being bought out by the banks and corporate farms. The next line of the song goes... "Won't you save some of that farm aid for the farmers over here, or the amber waves of grain will disappear". As a fellow farmer, I still get misty eyed whenever I hear that song.

From Quiz Merle Haggard

Answer: Ronald Reagan

From Quiz A Tribute To The Hag

Answer: Montana

Merle's co-writer on "Big City" was Dean Holloway. The song reached number one on the Billboard country singles chart in April of 1982.

From Quiz Tulare Dust

Answer: White line

"White Line Fever" is another name for the phenomenon known as Highway Hypnosis. And of course, it's a Merle Haggard song from the 1969 "Okie from Muskogeee" album. It's performed by Joe Ely, yet another Texas singer/songwriter. He was one of the Flatlanders, with Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, an influential band in the "non-Nashville" country music world. The members have had successful solo careers, all over the country/rock/folk end of the musical spectrum.

From Quiz More On The "Hag"

Answer: Silver Wings

...."Silver wings, shining in the sunlight..." Another classic "Hag" song, and one of my favorite karaoke songs to do, and yes, I said karaoke.

From Quiz Merle Haggard

Answer: 'Are the Good Times Really Over'

From Quiz A Tribute To The Hag

Answer: Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson's recording of "Yesterday's Wine" was the title track of a concept album by him. It was released as a single in October of 1971 but only reached number 62 on the Billboard country singles chart. Merle and George's version, however, was a number one country single in 1982.

From Quiz Tulare Dust

Answer: cats

From "My Own Kind of Hat", a cheeky song full of double entendre; it shows that Haggard is a much cooler guy than someone who doesn't listen to his music would suspect. It hit number four in the US Country charts in 1979. Rosie Flores does a great job of this song - she's got just the right light touch. Rosie's music tends toward the honky tonk side, with a bit of swing and Tex/Mex for flavour.

From Quiz More On The "Hag"

Answer: Branded Man

... "Now I'm a branded man out in the cold..." Another classic, and you get the feeling he was getting tired of all the questions about his prison time when he wrote this.

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