Mama Tried

I mean, what do you have on your neck

there? My neck says Mama Tried, which is an old Merle Haggard song, and it goes something like, I turned 21 in prison doing life without parole, but Mama Tried, Mama Tried.

My mom absolutely hated this tattoo because she said that's the mark of that I was a failure as your mother.

And she was not a failure.

They love each other.

Mama Tried into a wonderful big river.

Brown-Eyed Women follows.

New Minglewood Blues.

You can see that it's true.

Lord, you can see that it's true.

First thing I remember knowin' Was a youngin' glowin' And a youngin's dream of growin' up to run On a freight train beavin' town Not knowin' where I was bound No one could steer me right But mama tried When an only rebel child A family makin' mile Mama seemed to know how to last up And I turned 21 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 lied At least no one believed to blame, cause mama tried

Of the many things she was, singer, actor, philanthropist, businesswoman, she always said she wanted to be remembered as a songwriter.

Which one of the following hits by other country artists did she not write? A, The Stranger by Kenny Rogers; B, I'm in No Condition by Hank Williams Jr.; C, Waltz Me to Heaven by Waylon Jennings; D, Mama Tried by Merle Haggard.

Oof, wow.

Solid country gold.

...and it is an absolute belter.

She also wrote The Stranger by Kenny Rogers, uh, and Waltz Me to Heaven by Waylon Jennings.

She did not write Mama Tried by Merle Haggard.

Merle Haggard wrote that.

This is the Jeff Horst Show on FM Talk 1065.

And the young'uns dream of growing up to ride On a freight train leaving town Not knowing where I'm bound And no one can change my mind But Mama tried

Great guy, and the author of some great prison songs.

Mama Tried, I think, for my money, is one of the best prison songs ever written.

If you'll indulge me, I'll say one quick other thing about Merle.

One of my favorite notes that I've received since this book came out, a retired English professor wrote to me, and he says, right near the end of Merle's life, I saw him perform live.

I saw Merle perform live, and to introduce Mama Tried, he says, right now in America, there are 2.4 million people in prison.

And Merle's audience, they start cheering.

Merle just waited until they had stopped cheering and says, you people are all assholes.