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.
Blue Christmas
Merle Haggard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll be so blue just thinking about you
Decorations of red, on a green Christmas tree
Won't mean a thing if, if you're not here with me
I'll have a blue Christmas, that's certain
And when all those blue heartaches start hurting
You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white
I'll have a blue Christmas without you
I'll be so blue thinking about you
You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white
But I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas
Christmas, I'll have a blue Christmas
Merle Haggard's Blue Christmas is a heart-rending song about a lonely holiday season, heightened by the absence of someone who was very special. The lyrics are a melancholy reflection on the loneliness that the songwriter feels in the absence of a loved one during the Christmas season. The song is made up of several verses, each highlighting the sadness that he is feeling during the holidays. The first verse sets up the idea that the holidays will be blue without his beloved, creating an expectation of sadness that looms over the entire season. All of the decorations and festivities associated with the holiday pale in comparison to the absence of his love, who is so important that nothing else matters.
The second verse describes the emotional pain he experiences in this lonely time, talking about the "blue heartaches" that feel like they will never end. Meanwhile, he envisions his love having a happy holiday, which complicates the situation further by making him feel even more disconnected and isolated. The last verse is a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the contrast between his blue Christmas and his love's white Christmas. Overall, the song speaks to those who have experienced the pain of being alone during a holiday season, reminding us of the power of love and the importance of connection during this time.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll have a blue Christmas without you
I will feel very sad and lonely during the Christmas season because you will not be here with me.
I'll be so blue just thinking about you
Just the thought of you not being here with me during Christmas will make me feel extremely sad and unhappy.
Decorations of red, on a green Christmas tree
Even if I decorate my Christmas tree beautifully with red ornaments on a green tree, it will be meaningless and not enjoyable without you being here to share it with me.
Won't mean a thing if, if you're not here with me
The decorations and celebration of Christmas will not have any significance or value for me if you are not present and celebrating with me.
I'll have a blue Christmas, that's certain
There is no doubt that Christmas will not be joyful or happy for me; rather, it will be very sad and melancholy.
And when all those blue heartaches start hurting
As the Christmas season progresses, my sadness and feelings of loss will only intensify and become more painful.
You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white
You will likely be having a good Christmas and not feeling sad because you are not here with me.
But I'll have a blue, blue Christmas
I will continue to feel very sad and have a “blue” Christmas, despite the fact that you may be enjoying Christmas without me.
I'll have a blue Christmas without you
I will still feel very sad and unhappy during Christmas because you will not be with me to celebrate and enjoy the holiday.
I'll be so blue thinking about you
Thinking about you not being here with me during Christmas will continue to make me very sad and emotional.
You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white
Even though you are not here with me, you will likely be having a good Christmas and not feeling sad like I am.
But I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas
My feelings of sadness and loneliness during Christmas will persist and be very intense, despite the fact that you may be enjoying the holiday without me.
Christmas, I'll have a blue Christmas
Overall, Christmas will be very sad and “blue” for me because you are not here to celebrate and enjoy the holiday with me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ERROL THOMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Pat Campbell
I love HAGGARD no one can sing like the Hag. We lost a good one.
Miss Kitty 1944
Love merle hes so good 2019 all songs great
Frances Moore
Love Elvis, now I love Merle. Love how he sings this song.
leavicki1
Beautiful !!!
Patsy East
MERLE SINGS IT BETTER THAN ANYONE :)
Marianne Menon
Thank you dear Patsy, I can only agree with you!!! 💙
~Marianne...
Kenny Dobbins
Listen to Johnny Cash's version.
Nina Garcia
I've heard another version by Merle of this christmas song, this one is way back in 1977 and the other one is from the album Goin' Home for Christmas which I think is much later.
Angelika Meister
Einfach wahnsinn diese Stimme
Marianne Menon
Vielen Dank liebe Angelika, ich kann Ihnen nur zustimmen!
~Marianne...