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.
Mother the Queen of My Heart
Merle Haggard Lyrics
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Down where the blue bonnet's grew.
I had the kindest old mother;
How happy we were just we two.
Till one day the angels' called her,
That debt we all have to pay.
She called me close to hr bedside,
These last few words to say.
"Son, don't start drinking and gambling,
Promise you'll always go straight. "
Ten years have passed since that parting,
That promise I've broke, I must say.
I started gambling for pastime,
At last I was just like them all.
I bet my clothes and my money,fall.
One night I bet all my money,
Nothing was left to be seen.
All that I needed to break them was one card,
And that was a queen.
The cards were dealt all 'round the table,
Each man took a card on the draw.
I drew the one that would beat them;
I turned it and here's wat I saw.
I saw my mother's picture,
And somehow she seemed to say.
"Son, you have broken your promise,"
So I tossed the cards away.
My winnings I gave to a newsboy,
I knew I was wrong from the start.
And I'll ne'er forget that promise,
To Mother, the queen of my heart.
The lyrics to Merle Haggard's "Mother the Queen of My Heart" tell the story of a son who had a close relationship with his mother. They lived in Texas in a little home surrounded by blue bonnets, and were very happy together. However, one day, the mother passed away and before she took her last breath, she gave him a final piece of advice, "Son, don't start drinking and gambling, promise you'll always go straight." A decade later, the son breaks his promise and starts gambling as a pastime. Eventually, he ends up betting everything he has and sees his mother's image on the card that would determine his fate. It reminded him of his mother's final words and he decided to throw the cards out and give his winnings to a newsboy.
The song is a poignant reminder of the power mothers have on their children and the responsibilities they bear, even after their mothers have passed away. The lyrics suggest that mothers are a guiding force that remains with their children long after they are gone. The son's love for his mother was so great that he was reminded of her in his darkest hour, and in that moment, he made the decision to honor the promise he made to her.
Line by Line Meaning
I had a home out in Texas,
I used to live in a place with blue bonnets
Down where the blue bonnet's grew.
It was where I found beauty in nature
I had the kindest old mother;
My mother was the most compassionate woman
How happy we were just we two.
We enjoyed each other's company so much
Till one day the angels' called her,
Until the day she passed away
That debt we all have to pay.
This is the inevitable fate of everyone
She called me close to hr bedside,
She summoned me near to her when her time was near
These last few words to say.
And said her final words to me
"Son, don't start drinking and gambling,
She advised me to avoid harmful habits
Promise you'll always go straight. "
And to always stay true to myself
Ten years have passed since that parting,
It has been a decade since we last spoke
That promise I've broke, I must say.
I regret to admit that I have failed to keep my promise
I started gambling for pastime,
I began gambling just to pass the time
At last I was just like them all.
Eventually, I became like all the other gamblers
I bet my clothes and my money,fall.
I put at risk not only my money but also my clothes
One night I bet all my money,
On one night, I wagered all I had
Nothing was left to be seen.
I lost everything and had nothing left
All that I needed to break them was one card,
I only required one card to win the game
And that was a queen.
That card was a queen
The cards were dealt all 'round the table,
Cards were given to all players on the table
Each man took a card on the draw.
Each player picked a new card
I drew the one that would beat them;
I selected the winning card
I turned it and here's wat I saw.
But when I flipped it over, I saw something unexpected
I saw my mother's picture,
I saw the image of my mom
And somehow she seemed to say.
Her image appeared to speak to me
"Son, you have broken your promise,"
She reminded me of the promise I made
So I tossed the cards away.
I threw away the cards, realizing that I had been wrong
My winnings I gave to a newsboy,
I gave my winnings to a young boy I met
I knew I was wrong from the start.
I finally acknowledged that I had been in the wrong
And I'll ne'er forget that promise,
And I will never forget the pledge
To Mother, the queen of my heart.
To my mother, who has always held a special place in my heart
Lyrics © OBO 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...