The album's title track was inspired by an inmate Haggard knew there named Jimmy "Rabbit" Kendrick. As recounted in his 1981 autobiography Merle Haggard: Sing Me Back Home, Rabbit devised a brilliant escape and invited Haggard to join him, but they both agreed it would be best that he stay put.
Rabbit was captured two weeks later and eventually executed for the murder of a state trooper. Haggard, the "guitar playing friend", wrote the song as a tribute
Sing Me Back Home
Merle Haggard Lyrics
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And I stood up to say good-bye like all the rest
And I heard him tell the warden just before he reached my cell
"Let my guitar-playing friend do my request"
Let him sing me back home with a song I used to hear
Make my old memories come alive
Take me away and turn back the years
I recall last Sunday morning a choir from 'cross the street
Came in to sing a few old gospel songs
And I heard him tell the singers "there's a song my mama sang
Could I hear once before you move along?"
Won't you sing me back home, with the song I used to hear
Make my old memories come alive
Take me away and turn back the years
Sing me back home before I die
Sing me back home before I die
The song "Sing Me Back Home" by Merle Haggard depicts a prisoner's final moments before his execution at the San Quentin State Prison, where Merle himself spent two years. The singer is one of the inmates who watches as the condemned man is led down the hallway, and as a final request, he asks the warden to allow his "guitar-playing friend" to sing him back home. The lyrics evoke a sense of longing for the past, as the prisoner wants to hear a song he used to love, one that would take him back to happier times, before his inevitable end.
Haggard's song reflects the power of music to comfort and console, especially during difficult times. The lyrics show how music can transport people to another place and time, bringing back memories and emotions that were long forgotten. In this case, the prisoner's last request is not for a priest, a family member or a loved one, but for someone to play a song that reminds him of his life before prison - a life that he will never experience again.
Line by Line Meaning
The warden led a prisoner down the hallway to his doom
The warden led a prisoner to his execution through the hallway, where I and all the other inmates said goodbye to him.
And I stood up to say good-bye like all the rest
As a fellow prisoner, I also stood up to say goodbye to the prisoner as he was taken to his death.
And I heard him tell the warden just before he reached my cell
Just as he was passing by my cell, I heard him ask the warden to allow me to fulfill his final request of playing a song.
"Let my guitar-playing friend do my request"
The prisoner specifically asked for a friend of his who played guitar to fulfill his wish to hear a certain song before his execution.
Let him sing me back home with a song I used to hear
The prisoner's final request was to hear a specific song from his past, which he wanted his guitar-playing friend to perform for him.
Make my old memories come alive
By hearing the song he requested, the prisoner hoped to relive old memories that were dear to him.
Take me away and turn back the years
The prisoner wished to be transported back in time to relive happy memories from his past through the power of the song.
Sing me back home before I die
The prisoner's final wish was for his friend to play the requested song for him before he was executed, as a way to provide him with a moment of peace and nostalgia in his final moments.
I recall last Sunday morning a choir from 'cross the street
Reflecting back on a memory, I remember a choir that had come from a nearby church to sing gospel songs.
Came in to sing a few old gospel songs
The choir had come to the prison to perform a few religious songs for the inmates.
And I heard him tell the singers "there's a song my mama sang
As the prisoner listened to the choir, he asked the singers if they knew a specific song that his mother used to sing.
Could I hear once before you move along?"
He requested that the choir perform the song once for him before they left the prison, as it held a special place in his heart.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MERLE HAGGARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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