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.
Under the bridge
Merle Haggard Lyrics
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After twenty years they just put me on the side
Now I'm hungry in the street with no place to hang my hat
And nothin' but an empty dream to ride
But under the bridge, I can make believe I'm living in a castle
Under the bridge, my baby and me
And I can pretend that I'm a king and this is my kingdom
Hey, the doors are always open to any old weary traveler
And you'll find some great grub feedin' here below
Any old bridge can be a palace, call it what you want to
It's a place to be when you got no place to go
Under the bridge, I can make believe I'm living in a castle
Under the bridge, my baby and me
And I can pretend I'm a king, this is my kingdom
Under the bridge making believe
Hey, under the bridge making believe
In Merle Haggard's song "Under the Bridge," the singer tells the story of how he lost his job after twenty years of working on the railroad in Saginaw. Now he finds himself on the streets with nowhere to go and no prospects for the future. Despite his dire circumstances, he and his loved one find a sense of escape and comfort under the bridge. They pretend that they are living in a castle and the singer imagines he is a king in his own kingdom. The bridge becomes a place of refuge, a temporary home where they can make believe and forget their troubles for a little while.
The lyrics of this song speak to the human desire for refuge and a sense of home. It also highlights the strength of the human imagination and our ability to find comfort in the most unlikely of places. The song also touches on issues of poverty and homelessness, reminding us of the struggles that many people face when they lose their jobs or face other hardships.
Line by Line Meaning
I lost my job in Saginaw working on the railroad
I lost my job in Saginaw, where I used to work on the railroad for twenty years, only to be fired suddenly.
After twenty years they just put me on the side
After serving twenty years of work, they just sideline me.
Now I'm hungry in the street with no place to hang my hat
I'm left homeless and hungry, wandering in the streets with nowhere to go and nobody to turn to.
And nothin' but an empty dream to ride
All I have left is a dream of better days, with nothing to support it, just an empty dream.
But under the bridge, I can make believe I'm living in a castle
Under the bridge, I can pretend that I'm living in a castle, where everything is grand and luxurious.
Under the bridge, my baby and me
My lover and I seek refuge under the bridge.
And I can pretend that I'm a king and this is my kingdom
I can imagine myself as a king ruling over my kingdom under the bridge.
Hey, the doors are always open to any old weary traveler
Anyone can find solace under the bridge, where weary travelers are always welcome with open arms.
And you'll find some great grub feedin' here below
You'll find some great food to eat under the bridge.
Any old bridge can be a palace, call it what you want to
No matter how small or insignificant the bridge may seem, it can be a palace to those who have nowhere else to go.
It's a place to be when you got no place to go
Under the bridge is a place to be when you're left with nowhere else to go.
Hey, under the bridge making believe
Under the bridge, we are making believe that we're living in a better place, far from our homeless reality.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HAGGARD, LANE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dan D
I lost my job in Saginaw working on the railroad
After twenty years they just put me on the side
Now I'm hungry in the street with no place to hang my hat
And nothin' but an empty dream to ride
But under the bridge, I can make believe I'm living in a castle
Under the bridge, my baby and me
And I can pretend that I'm a king and this is my kingdom
Under the bridge making believe
Hey, the doors are always open to any old weary traveler
And you'll find some great grub feedin' here below
Any old bridge can be a palace, call it what you want to
It's a place to be when you got no place to go
Under the bridge, I can make believe I'm living in a castle
Under the bridge, my baby and me
And I can pretend I'm a king, this is my kingdom
Under the bridge making believeThere's no magic way
For me to get over you
There's not much left to say
And not a thing left to do
Seldom I laugh
And seldom I ever cry
But there's times I drink too much
And there's times when I lie
Sometimes I hate myself
And wish I could scream
Sometimes I give up on love
But sometimes I dream
Sometimes I dream
Looking out through my window
Speeding through the night
In a long limousine
There's a curse on my heart
And I'll never love again
I'm forever a lonely man
But sometimes I dream
Source: LyricFind
Robert Charles
He is a main reason why pure country songs will never end!👍💔🥰
Ann Bonser
Merle was one of the very best, and his sons Ben and Noel Haggard certainly carry his memory on with honour.
david moore
Hello dear,how are you doing?
Margaret Sharbono
Yes They do. I Listen to Mr Merle,
Noel Lee & Ben every night before I go to bed Sometimes
Marty & Scott Haggard 5 ROCK COUNTRY MUSIC
Margaret Sharbono
4-2023
Joy Crouch
Don’t forget his oldest son, Marty,
Jeannie Cooper
Oh yes love Marty! He idolizes his father. Such a honorable man he is. Love Noel to.
Robert McLain
Songs from the heart, music from the soul. Never be another Merle!
CAROL Lane
I'm watching this again as I watch a lot of his concerts. What a great singer he was. My favorite. I think here he looks tired and like he may not be feeling good, yet he still gave a great performance .miss Merle
William Rolls
Hello friend, how're you doing today?