Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American countr… Read Full Bio ↴Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler.

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.

Runaway Mama
Merle Haggard Lyrics

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She's my run away mama
Always chasing other men
She's my run away mama
She's somewhere and gone again.

If you see this kind of lady,
Kind of tall, kind of slim.
She's my runaway mama.

Call the law and turn her in

She's got lots of pretty things
That a man cannot ignore.
And she's standing out in a bar room
When she walks out on the floor.

If you see this kind of woman
Thumbling a ride and showing skin.
She's my runaway mama.
Call the law and turn her in.

If you see a woman flirting
And she's hurting a bunch of men.
She's my runaway mama.
Call the law and turn her in.

If you see her somewhere dancing
On a table in a bar.
Go and call the chief of police
And try to tell 'em where you are.

She's my runaway mama,
Always chasing other men
She's my runaway mama,
She's somewhere and gone again.

If you see this kind of lady
Thumbing a ride and showing skin.
She's my runaway mama.
Call the law and turn her in.

She's my runaway mama.

Overall Meaning

The song "Runaway Mama" by Merle Haggard tells the story of a woman who can't settle down and is always chasing after other men. The singer, presumably her son, implores anyone who sees her to call the police and turn her in for her erratic behavior. He describes her as tall and slim with lots of pretty things that men cannot ignore. She is often found standing in a bar room, flirting and hurting a bunch of men. The singer is clearly worried about his mother and wants to keep her safe, even if that means turning her in to the authorities.

The lyrics are poignant and tell a sad story of a woman who can't seem to find happiness or stability. The singer's plea to turn her in is an act of tough love, as he fears for her well-being and wants to make sure she doesn't end up hurting herself or others. The song is a testament to the power of lyrics to tell a story and evoke emotion in the listener.

Line by Line Meaning

She's my run away mama
The singer is referring to a woman who frequently deserts her family to pursue relationships with other men

Always chasing other men
The woman in question is always pursuing romantic relationships outside of her current one

She's somewhere and gone again.
The woman has left without warning, as she often does, to find a new partner

If you see this kind of lady, Kind of tall, kind of slim.
The singer is giving a physical description of his wife, in case someone sees her out and about

Call the law and turn her in
The singer is urging listeners to report his wife to the authorities if they spot her, likely out of anger and frustration

She's got lots of pretty things That a man cannot ignore.
The woman in question may use her beauty and charm to gain the attention of potential partners

And she's standing out in a bar room When she walks out on the floor.
The woman may be frequently found in bars, where she may dance and flirt with other men

Thumbling a ride and showing skin.
The woman has left home and is hitchhiking, likely wearing revealing clothing to attract the attention of drivers

If you see a woman flirting And she's hurting a bunch of men.
The woman may be causing emotional pain to the various men she is interested in, in a selfish pursuit of romantic and sexual gratification

If you see her somewhere dancing On a table in a bar.
The woman loves attention and is willing to engage in risky or scandalous behavior to get it

Go and call the chief of police And try to tell 'em where you are.
The singer is again urging anyone who sees his wife to report her to the authorities, offering to give his location to facilitate her capture

Contributed by Levi R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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