Download    Okay.. I’ll admit to never being a fan of Merle Haggard.  Oh, I knew of Mr. Haggard, but the only song I attributed to him was “Okie From Muskogee” – a song I neither liked or ever performed.  So I didn’t pay much attention to him.  Man… did I ever miss out.

It took his death last week to make me take a second look at a man I’d always heard was a legend but never took the time to find out why.  This guy had 38 number one country hits  – 38!  That’s amazing!  And I only heard of one.  I did hear a reference to “the fightin’ side of me” one time,  but I didn’t know it was a song.  His life was rough after his father passed in 1945 – living in a boxcar, in and out of juvenile detention centers, and finally a stint in San Quentin.  It was there he saw Johnny Cash perform in 1958, which more or less turned him around enough to decide that country music was where he wanted to be.  He was paroled in 1960 and set about making himself a country music star by writing songs about the working man, and gambling, drinking, carousing, fighting, and crying a lot – typical country music stuff.  In 1972, after Haggard had become an established country star, then- California governor Ronald Reagan granted Merle an unconditional pardon for his past crimes.  Of course, all you “Hag” fans already know all this, but I remain fascinated.

This particular song is called “Swingin’ Doors” and I love it – we’re gonna start doing it.  It wasn’t one of his biggest – only reaching #5 on the charts – but the lyrics are clever,  self deprecating and sarcastic all at the same time.  The wife (or girlfriend, it’s not clear) has kicked him out of his house and he’s taken up residence in a honky-tonk bar (better than a boxcar).  The chorus:  “And I’ve got swingin’ doors, a jukebox, and a bar stool/ and my new home has a flashing neon sign/ stop by and see me anytime you want to/ ’cause I’m always here at home till closing time”.  Here’s a song that plays to the country side of everybody.

These backup tracks are on the country list, along with “Okie” (had to be done).  And this one goes out to my dear Aunt Marilyn (not that she lives in a saloon).  Who knew she was a big fan (according to my Dad)?  Now, at long last, so am I.