Mama Tried
Willie Nelson & Friends Lyrics
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Was a lonesome whistle blowing,
And a young un's dream of growing up to ride,
On a freight train leaving town,
Not knowing where I'm bound,
No-one could change my mind but Mama tried.
One and only rebel child,
From a family, meek and mild,
Despite my Sunday learning,
Towards the bad, I kept turning.
'Til Mama couldn't hold me anymore.
And I turned twenty-one in prion doing life without parole.
No-one could steer me right but Mama tried, Mama tried.
Mama tried to raise me better, but her pleading, I denied.
That leaves only me to blame 'cause Mama tried.
Dear old Daddy, rest his soul,
Left my Mom a heavy load,
She tried so very hard to fill his shoes.
Working hours without rest,
Wanted me to have the best.
She tried to raise me right but I refused.
I turned twenty-one in prison doing life without parole.
No-one could steer me right but Mama tried, Mama tried,
Mama tried to raise me better, but her pleading, I denied.
That leaves only me to blame 'cause Mama tried.
In "Mama Tried," Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard collaborate with Toby Keith to pay tribute to their mothers who tried their best to raise their sons right, but the sons wandered off to experiment with life on their own. The opening lines describe how the singer, as a young boy, heard a lonesome whistle blowing and dreamed of escaping his hometown on a freight train, although he did not know where he was headed. He explains that his mother realized that he was a rebellious child, and she tried her best to guide him in the right direction, despite his tendency to gravitate toward trouble.
As the singer grew older, his mother's guidance became less effective as he became increasingly rebellious. He recalls how in his twenties, he became incarcerated, where he remained for life without parole. Even as he admits his wrongdoing, he acknowledges that his mother had tried her best to steer him in the right direction. He admits that he alone is responsible for his imprisonment because he had ignored his mother's advice and continued to make the wrong choices.
Overall, "Mama Tried" is an ode to mothers everywhere who raised their children with love and dedication, hoping that they would make the right choices in life. The song's message is that even when children stray from the path their mothers wanted them to follow, the love and concern that a mother has for her child will always remain with them.
Line by Line Meaning
The first thing I remember knowing,
My earliest memory is of a lonely train whistle sounding, and dreaming of someday hopping on a freight train to leave my small town.
Was a lonesome whistle blowing,
My earliest memory is of a distant train whistle.
And a young un's dream of growing up to ride,
As a child, my dream was to grow up and escape my hometown by hopping a train.
On a freight train leaving town,
My dream was to leave town on a freight train.
Not knowing where I'm bound,
My desire to leave town was so strong, I didn't care where the train was headed.
No-one could change my mind but Mama tried.
Despite my determination, my mother tried to convince me to stay.
One and only rebel child,
I was the only child in my family known for my rebelliousness.
From a family, meek and mild,
My family was known for being gentle and submissive.
My Mama seemed to know what lay in store.
Despite my resistance, my mother foresaw my fate.
Despite my Sunday learning,
Even though I was raised to be a good Christian.
Towards the bad, I kept turning.
I had a tendency to make poor choices, even though I knew better.
'Til Mama couldn't hold me anymore.
Eventually, even my mother's influence couldn't keep me from making bad decisions.
And I turned twenty-one in prison doing life without parole.
I ended up in jail by the time I turned twenty-one, and was sentenced to life without parole.
Mama tried to raise me better, but her pleading, I denied.
My mother attempted to instill good values in me, but I refused to listen.
That leaves only me to blame 'cause Mama tried.
I am solely responsible for my life of crime, despite my mother's efforts to guide me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MERLE HAGGARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@HussyHarryet
R.I.P Toby you legend. Devastated.
@boblozaintherealworld3577
my wife and I still just blown away.
@murphyr31
Me too, hit me nearly as hard as loosing Merle. It was like we lost Merle all over again. RIP fellas
@2beinteresting
Requiescat in pace, Toby! Who would've thought that the oldest of these three gentlemen would live the longest!
@Joeybydin
This one has hit me harder than any death ever has when it was somebody i had never met. I'm an Okie and it's just not the same around here with him gone. I really can't explain it. Only good thing about it is the local stations have been playing a lot more Toby than usual. Rip big guy!
@Joeybydin
@@boblozaintherealworld3577up until the last few weeks i really thought he was going to be ok. Even knowing for years that he was aick, it still just shocked me when i woke up and found out.
@bryanjones3089
Love how Willy stayed in the background and let Merle and Toby have that special moment together
Great memory
Rip Toby
You and Merle are singing together again 😢
@commonsenseman6024
Rip Toby and Merle, true country legends. You were unapologetically real country, God bless
@rhondaboncutter5812
My father was a Merle fan, as a kid would play Merle's Records for him as he sat on the back porch drinking a beer! I always sat and sang with him! I miss my Dad!
@SweetJustice
Ditto, my Dad played Merle’s records while rocking in his rocking chair, smoking a Winston some of my first memories