Haggard was born in Oildale, California, during the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled after the death of his father, and he was incarcerated several times in his youth. After being released from San Quentin State Prison in 1960, he managed to turn his life around and launch a successful country music career. He gained popularity with his songs about the working class that occasionally contained themes contrary to the prevailing anti-Vietnam War sentiment of much popular music of the time. Between the 1960s and the 1980s, he had 38 number-one hits on the US country charts, several of which also made the Billboard all-genre singles chart. Haggard continued to release successful albums into the 2000s.
He received many honors and awards for his music, including a Kennedy Center Honor (2010), a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2006), a BMI Icon Award (2006), and induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (1977), Country Music Hall of Fame (1994) and Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame (1997). He died on April 6, 2016 — his 79th birthday — at his ranch in Shasta County, California, having recently suffered from double pneumonia.
Haggard's last recording, a song called "Kern River Blues", described his departure from Bakersfield in the late 1970s and his displeasure with politicians. The song was recorded February 9, 2016, and features his son Ben on guitar. This record was released on May 12, 2016.
Haggard endorsed Fender guitars and had a Custom Artist signature model Telecaster. The guitar is a modified Telecaster Thinline with laminated top of figured maple, set neck with deep carved heel, birdseye maple fingerboard with 22 jumbo frets, ivoroid pickguard and binding, gold hardware, abalone Tuff Dog Tele peghead inlay, 2-Colour Sunburst finish, and a pair of Fender Texas Special Tele single-coil pickups with custom-wired 4-way pickup switching. He also played six-string acoustic models. In 2001, C. F. Martin & Company introduced a limited edition Merle Haggard Signature Edition 000-28SMH acoustic guitar available with or without factory-installed electronics.
Hobo Bill's Last Ride
Merle Haggard Lyrics
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Riding on that eastbound freight train speeding through the night
Hobo Bill a railroad bum was fighting for his life
The sadness of his eyes revealed the torture of his soul
He raised a weak and weary hand to brush away the cold
Ho-bo Bill
No warm lights flickered round him no blankets there to hold
When he heard a whistle blowing in a dreamy kind of way
The hobo seemed contented for he smiled there where he lay
Ho-bo Bill
Outside the rain was falling on that lonely boxcar door
But the little form of Hobo Bill lay still upon the floor
While the train sped through the darkness and the raging storm outside
No one knew that Hobo Bill was taking his last ride
It was early in the morning when they raised the hobo's head
The smile still lingered on his face but Hobo Bill was dead
There was no mother's longing to soothe his weary soul
For he was just a railroad bum who died out in the cold
The lyrics to Merle Haggard's "Hobo Bill's Last Ride" tell the tragic story of a railroad bum named Hobo Bill who finds himself fighting for his life on an eastbound freight train speeding through the night. His eyes reveal the pain and suffering of his soul as he raises a weary hand to brush away the cold. There are no warm lights or blankets to hold him, only the howling wind and driving rain. However, in the midst of this dark situation, Hobo Bill hears a whistle blowing in a dreamy kind of way that brings a smile to his face. Sadly, the next morning Hobo Bill is found dead, his smile still lingering on his face.
The lyrics of "Hobo Bill's Last Ride" convey a sense of loneliness, isolation, and despair. The hobo's lack of warm shelter and the cold, driving rain emphasize the brutal nature of his life as a railroad bum. The lyrics also convey a sense of hopelessness, as Hobo Bill's death is treated as a mere footnote, with no one mourning his passing. The song's themes of suffering, death, and the indifference of society to the plight of the homeless are common ones in country music but are given a raw emotional power in Haggard's rendition.
Line by Line Meaning
Ho-bo Bill-Y
Introducing the character named Hobo Bill, a homeless man who travels by train.
Riding on that eastbound freight train speeding through the night
Hobo Bill is traveling on a train that is moving quickly in an easterly direction during nighttime.
Hobo Bill a railroad bum was fighting for his life
Hobo Bill is homeless and struggling to survive.
The sadness of his eyes revealed the torture of his soul
Hobo Bill's eyes show that he is experiencing emotional pain.
He raised a weak and weary hand to brush away the cold
Hobo Bill tries to warm himself up by rubbing his hands together.
No warm lights flickered round him no blankets there to hold
Hobo Bill is alone with no source of heat or comfort.
Nothing but the howling wind and the driving rain so cold
The only sounds around him are the wind and the rain, which are making him even colder.
When he heard a whistle blowing in a dreamy kind of way
Hobo Bill hears a train whistle in a distant and surreal manner.
The hobo seemed contented for he smiled there where he lay
Despite his difficult circumstances, Hobo Bill feels a sense of peace and happiness.
Outside the rain was falling on that lonely boxcar door
It is raining outside and Hobo Bill is in a boxcar, feeling lonely and isolated.
But the little form of Hobo Bill lay still upon the floor
Hobo Bill's body is still and lifeless on the floor of the boxcar.
While the train sped through the darkness and the raging storm outside
The train continues to move quickly, despite the dark and stormy weather outside.
No one knew that Hobo Bill was taking his last ride
Nobody on the train knew that Hobo Bill had died.
It was early in the morning when they raised the hobo's head
The next morning, someone discovered Hobo Bill's body and lifted his head.
The smile still lingered on his face but Hobo Bill was dead
Despite his tragic fate, Hobo Bill's face remains calm and peaceful.
There was no mother's longing to soothe his weary soul
Hobo Bill has nobody to comfort him or mourn his loss, as he was a homeless man.
For he was just a railroad bum who died out in the cold
Hobo Bill was a homeless man who died alone and cold on the train.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: WALDO O'NEAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jimmy Ray
on Carryin' Fire
I'm a co-writer on this song and the lyrics are not quite right here. Instead of the word high it should be higher. The last verse is A moth slowly circles the flickering candle, the fire is all it can see...