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.
Miss the Mississippi and You
Merle Haggard Lyrics
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Tired of the glamor and tired of the sights
In all my dreams I am roaming once more
Back to my home on that old river shore
I am sad and weary far away from home
Miss the Mississippi and you, dear
Days are dark and dreary and everywhere I roam
Roaming the wide world over
Always alone and blue, so blue
Nothing seems to cheer me under heaven's dome
Miss the Mississippi and you
Roamin' the wide world over
Always alone and blue, so blue
Nothing seems to cheer me under heaven's dome
Miss the Mississippi and you
Mississippi and you
The song "Miss the Mississippi and You" by Merle Haggard is a heartfelt tribute to the Mississippi River and the memories it holds for the singer. The lyrics express Haggard's longing to return to his hometown and the simple pleasures of life on the river. He is tired of the big city lights and the glamor that comes with it, and dreams of the peace and comfort he once had. The line "Days are dark and dreary and everywhere I roam" suggests that Haggard feels lost and disconnected from his roots, and that only by returning to the Mississippi can he find some measure of peace.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm growing tired of the big city lights
I am becoming weary and fed up with the bright lights and excitement of the city life
Tired of the glamor and tired of the sights
I am tired of the glitz and the superficial attractions of city life
In all my dreams I am roaming once more
Every night, in my dreams, I find myself wandering back to the familiar shores of the Mississippi
Back to my home on that old river shore
Returning to the familiar surroundings of my birthplace along the banks of the Mississippi river
I am sad and weary far away from home
I feel a deep sadness and fatigue as I am far from my roots and homeland
Miss the Mississippi and you, dear
I deeply long for the Mississippi river and for your companionship, my dear
Days are dark and dreary and everywhere I roam
The days feel bleak and gloomy, no matter where I may wander
Roaming the wide world over
Wandering and traveling through vast territories
Always alone and blue, so blue
Continuously experiencing feelings of loneliness and sadness
Nothing seems to cheer me under heaven's dome
I find no solace or comfort under the vastness of the sky and stars above
Mississippi and you
My heart yearns for the familiar embrace of the Mississippi and the love and companionship of you, my dear
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JIMMIE RODGERS
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...