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 Want To Be With You Always
Merle Haggard Lyrics
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When I'm with you
No one else can do
You're in my heart to stay.
But when I'm gone
And I'm all alone
I'll be singing a song
--- Instrumental ---
I'd be happy, dear
If you could only be here
And always be near
Forever and a day.
Then we could travel far
To some big shining star
Just me and my guitar
And stay like sweethearts for always.
--- Instrumental ---
I hope you feel the same
You really want my name
You'll be the one who's to blame
If it works out wrong that day.
'Cause my love is true
My love is only for you
I'll never be blue
If I can be with you, always...
The song "I Want To Be With You Always" by Merle Haggard is a love ballad that expresses the singer's feelings of yearning to be with the one he loves all the time. The lyrics talk about how being with his lover makes him happy and how no one else can make him feel that way. The line "I lose my blues when I'm with you" shows how the presence of his lover makes everything in his life seem better. The singer then describes how being away from his lover is like torture, and he longs to be back in their loving embrace. He sings about how he'll be singing a song when he's alone, wishing he could be with his love always.
The second verse continues the same theme of wanting to be with his lover. He expresses his happiness at the thought of his lover always being there, near him. He talks about how they could travel together, to distant shining stars, with just him and his guitar. The song paints a picture of two people who are deeply in love and willing to go anywhere, hand in hand. The last part of the song is a plea to his lover to reciprocate his feelings. He hopes that his lover feels the same and wants to be with him always. The line "My love is true, my love is only for you" is a testament to how strong the singer's feelings for his lover are.
Overall, the song "I Want To Be With You Always" is a beautiful expression of pure love and devotion. It conveys the desire to be with the person you love, and how that love can make everything seem brighter and better.
Line by Line Meaning
I lose my blues, honey
My sadness and worries vanish when I am with you
When I'm with you
Being with you has a magical effect on me
No one else can do
No one else can replicate the way you make me feel
You're in my heart to stay.
Your love has become an inseparable part of my being
But when I'm gone
When I am away from you
And I'm all alone
Feeling lonely and without company
I'll be singing a song
I will express my yearning for you
I want to be with you always.
My desire to be with you is unwavering
I'd be happy, dear
I would be content and joyous
If you could only be here
If you were physically by my side
And always be near
Staying close to me at all times
Forever and a day.
For an eternity and more
Then we could travel far
We could explore distant places together
To some big shining star
To some grand, beautiful destination
Just me and my guitar
With only myself and my music
And stay like sweethearts for always.
And maintain the same romance and love for each other forever
I hope you feel the same
I hope you reciprocate my feelings
You really want my name
You truly desire to be with me
You'll be the one who's to blame
If things go wrong, it will be your fault
'Cause my love is true
Because my love for you is genuine and sincere
My love is only for you
I have eyes for no one else but you
I'll never be blue
I will never feel sad or lonely
If I can be with you, always...
As long as I can be with you, my life will be complete
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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...