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.
Hungry Eyes
Merle Haggard Lyrics
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Stand out in this memory I revived
'Cause my daddy raised a family there, with two hard-working hands
And tried to feed my mama's hungry eyes
He dreamed of something better, and my mama's faith was strong
And us kids were just to young to realize
That another class of people put us somewhere just below
Mama never had the luxuries she wanted
But it wasn't 'cause my daddy didn't try
She only wanted things she really needed
One more reason for my mama's hungry eyes
I remember daddy praying for a better way of life
But I don't recall a change of any size
Just a little loss of courage, as their age began to show
And more sadness in my mama's hungry eyes
Mama never had the luxuries she wanted
But it wasn't 'cause my daddy didn't try
She only wanted things she really needed
One more reason for my mama's hungry eyes
Oh, I still recall my mama's hungry eyes
The lyrics to Merle Haggard's song Hungry Eyes are a powerful and poignant portrayal of the struggles that his family and many others endured while living in a crowded labor camp. The canvas-covered cabin in which they lived was a stark reminder of the poverty and difficulties that they faced every day. Haggard's father worked tirelessly to provide for his family, but it was never enough to fully satisfy the hunger in his mother's eyes. Despite their difficult circumstances, Haggard's family never lost their faith or their hope for a better future.
The song speaks to the universal experiences of families living in poverty, where the struggle to meet basic needs can be a constant source of stress and despair. Haggard's lyrics convey the sense of longing and yearning that his mother felt for the simple luxuries she desired, such as a warm meal or a comfortable bed, but which remained elusive due to their financial circumstances. The song also tells the story of the loss of the family's courage as they grew older and the sadness that grew in his mother's eyes as she realized that her dreams may never be fully realized.
Line by Line Meaning
A canvas-covered cabin in a crowded labour camp
I recall a specific sight from my past - a simple cabin made of canvas in a busy work camp
Stand out in this memory I revived
This image is vivid and clear in my mind as I remember it now
'Cause my daddy raised a family there, with two hard-working hands
My father provided for our family using his two strong hands while we lived in that cabin
And tried to feed my mama's hungry eyes
He worked hard to provide for my mother's basic needs and desires
He dreamed of something better, and my mama's faith was strong
My father had hopes for a better future and my mother held on to her faith in tough times
And us kids were just too young to realize
As children, we were not yet mature enough to understand the struggles our parents faced
That another class of people put us somewhere just below
We were in a lower social class than some others, which was a contributing factor to our struggles
One more reason for my mama's hungry eyes
This was just another factor that added to my mother's longing for a better life
Mama never had the luxuries she wanted
My mother did not have access to the comforts she desired
But it wasn't 'cause my daddy didn't try
My father did all he could to provide for us but sometimes it wasn't enough
She only wanted things she really needed
Despite her wants, my mother focused on obtaining the things that were truly necessary for our family
One more reason for my mama's hungry eyes
This basic need that was unfulfilled was another contributing factor to her longing for more
I remember daddy praying for a better way of life
I recall my father's hopes and pleadings for a more fulfilling existence
But I don't recall a change of any size
Despite his efforts, we did not experience any significant improvement
Just a little loss of courage, as their age began to show
As my parents aged, they may have lost some of the strength and hope they once had
And more sadness in my mama's hungry eyes
As time passed, my mother's longing for a better life only seemed to grow stronger and more apparent
Mama never had the luxuries she wanted
Despite her hard work and sacrifices, my mother was not able to have the comforts she wished for
But it wasn't 'cause my daddy didn't try
This was not because my father did not work hard enough or care enough
She only wanted things she really needed
Despite her feelings of longing, my mother focused on obtaining the necessities for our family
One more reason for my mama's hungry eyes
This unfulfilled need was yet another factor contributing to my mother's deep longing for something more
Oh, I still recall my mama's hungry eyes
Through all of these memories and reflections, my mother's longing still stands out in my mind
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Merle Haggard
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...