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.
I Always Get Lucky With You
Merle Haggard Lyrics
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And no luck, it's true
But I always get lucky with you
I've been turned on and turned down
When the bars close up too
But I always get lucky with you
I keep two strikes
And when it's down to a phone call
I'm minus the dime
There's been good days and bad days
But when the day is all through
Hey, I'll always get lucky with you
I keep two strikes
Against me, most all of the time
And when it's down to a phone call
I'm minus the dime
There's been good days and bad days
But when the day is all through
Hey, I'll always get lucky with you
Now, play it beautifully
Play the bridge for me, Norm
Put me back on a roll
The lyrics to Merle Haggard’s “I Always Get Lucky With You” describe the singer’s history of luck, or lack thereof. The singer has experienced both good and bad fortune in various areas of life, including the places where he frequents, but he has a constant good fortune when it comes to his romantic relationship. The singer notes that they keep striking out, but that doesn't matter because when it's all over, they will still end up being lucky with their partner.
The line “I keep two strikes against me most all of the time” creates a strong metaphor for the challenges the singer faces in his life. The two strikes can be interpreted as the singer’s setbacks or circumstances that he cannot control. The fact that he keeps two strikes against him implies that he is not letting them get the better of him; he is continuing to fight on despite the odds working against him.
Throughout the song, the singer turns to his partner as his anchor in times of uncertainty or when things do not go his way. The repetition of the line “I always get lucky with you” serves as a refrain that reinforces the singer's strong relationship with his partner, a source of hope and reassurance when everything else seems to be going wrong.
Line by Line Meaning
I've had good luck and bad luck
I've experienced both positive and negative outcomes in life
And no luck, it's true
There have been times when I've had no luck at all
But I always get lucky with you
My luck has consistently been good with you by my side
I've been turned on and turned down
I've been both accepted and rejected in romantic pursuits
When the bars close up too
Especially when options are limited, like after last call at a bar
But I always get lucky with you
You have always been there for me, even when other opportunities fell through
I keep two strikes
I'm not in the most advantageous position
Against me, most all of the time
I'm usually facing obstacles and challenges
And when it's down to a phone call
When it's a critical moment, like a phone call that could change things
I'm minus the dime
I might not even have enough money to make the call
There's been good days and bad days
I've had my share of good and bad moments
But when the day is all through
At the end of it all
Hey, I'll always get lucky with you
Being with you makes everything worthwhile and gives me hope even in tough times
Now, play it beautifully
Now, perform the song in a moving and emotional way
Play the bridge for me, Norm
Perform the instrumental bridge section of the song, Norm
Put me back on a roll
Get me back in a positive and successful mindset
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: FREDDY POWERS, GARY CHURCH, TEX WHITSON
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...