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.
Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
Merle Haggard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stopped off at the North Pole to spend a holiday
I called on dear old Santa Claus
To see what I could see
He took me to his workshop
And told his plans to me, so
[Chorus]
Better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town
He's making a list and checking it twice
Gonna find out who's naughty and nice
Santa Claus is comin' to town
He sees you when you're sleepin'
He knows when you're a wake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake
Oh! You better watch out, you better not cry
Better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town
With little tin horns and little toy drums
Rooty toot toots and rummy tum tums
Santa Claus is comin' to town
And curly head dolls that toddle and coo
Elephants, boats, and kiddie cars too
Santa Claus is comin' to town
Then kids in Girl and Boy land will have a jubilee
They're gonna build a Toyland all around the Christmas tree
So! You better watch out, you better not cry
Better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town
Now Santa is a busy man, He has no time to play
He's got millions of stockings to fill on Christmas day
You'd better write your letter now
And mail it right away
Because he's getting ready
His reindeer's and his sleigh. So
[Chorus]
With little tin horns and little toy drums
Rooty toot toots and rummy tum tums
Santa Claus is comin' to town
And curly head dolls that toddle and coo
Elephants, boats, and kiddie cars too
Santa Claus is comin' to town
Then kids in Girl and Boy land will have a jubilee
They're gonna build a Toyland all around the Christmas tree
So! You better watch out, you better not cry
Better not pout, I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town
In Merle Haggard's version of "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town," the singer describes his journey along the Milky Way, where he stops at the North Pole to pay a visit to Santa Claus. He is taken to Santa's workshop where he is told about Santa's plans for Christmas. The chorus emphasizes the importance of being good because Santa Claus is coming to town, and he is keeping a list of who is naughty and nice.
The second verse highlights some of the toys that Santa will be bringing, such as little tin horns, little toy drums, and curly head dolls. The final verse acknowledges that Santa is a very busy man with millions of stockings to fill, so it is important for children to write their letters to Santa and mail them right away.
Overall, the song emphasizes the excitement and anticipation of Christmas, but also emphasizes the importance of good behavior in order to receive gifts from Santa.
Line by Line Meaning
I just came back from a lovely trip along the Milky Way
I took a space adventure and traveled through the galaxy
Stopped off at the North Pole to spend a holiday
I took a break at the Arctic region to relax
I called on dear old Santa Claus
I got in touch with the beloved Father Christmas
To see what I could see
To find out what's happening in his world
He took me to his workshop
He showed me his secret worksplace
And told his plans to me, so
He shared the details of his upcoming actions
You better watch out, you better not cry
Be careful and don't shed tears
Better not pout, I'm telling you why
Don't sulk, and here's the reason
Santa Claus is comin' to town
The Christmas icon is arriving
He's making a list and checking it twice
He's cataloging all his gift recipients
Gonna find out who's naughty and nice
He'll determine who's been good and bad
He sees you when you're sleepin'
He watches over you while you're asleep
He knows when you're a wake
He's aware of your every waking moment
He knows if you've been bad or good
He's aware of all your deeds and actions
So be good for goodness sake
Therefore, you should be virtuous for utmost benefit
With little tin horns and little toy drums
With small metal horns and miniature percussion instruments
Rooty toot toots and rummy tum tums
Making bright sounds and cheerful noises
And curly head dolls that toddle and coo
Also with dolls that have wavy hair and make baby talk
Elephants, boats, and kiddie cars too
Including toy pachyderms, watercraft, and small automobiles
Then kids in Girl and Boy land will have a jubilee
Children across the land will have a joyous celebration
They're gonna build a Toyland all around the Christmas tree
They will create a playtime paradise surrounding the holiday tree
Now Santa is a busy man, He has no time to play
Santa is an occupied fellow, and he can't engage in leisure
He's got millions of stockings to fill on Christmas day
He has to prepare countless presents for delivery during the holiday
You'd better write your letter now
It's better to compose your message as soon as possible
And mail it right away
And post it immediately
Because he's getting ready
Because he's busy with his preparations
His reindeer's and his sleigh. So
Taking care of his deer and transport. So
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lorettaburnell6613
THANK YOU I LOVE IT. Merry CHRISTMAS TO YOU
@manbehindthescreen1
+Loretta Burnell While a bit early, Merry Christmas to you too :)
@jamesjenkinson8378
love your country music
@jamesjenkinson8378
+James Jenkinson I like porrter & dolly dduets .
@ricardorodriguez5143
Merle Could Sing Anything
@Denzy2
My friend who is actually at my house right now is related to Merle haggard her name is Lola haggered