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Merle Haggard

Oildale, CA

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country

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Region: Central California Valley Conference: Pacific Regional Rank: #1

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About Merle Haggard

Born and bred in Oildale, California, Merle Haggard emerged as a defining voice of country music, deeply rooted in the hardscrabble realities of the Central Valley. Haggard's music resonated with working-class audiences, capturing their struggles and triumphs with an authenticity that few could match. His sound, a blend of Bakersfield twang and honky-tonk heartbreak, became synonymous with a particular brand of California country.

While Haggard's heart remained firmly planted in Kern County, his songwriting often explored the broader American landscape. Even a song like "tell me something bad about tulsa" showcases his storytelling ability, painting vivid pictures of places far beyond his California home. He was a master of capturing the emotional essence of a place.

Locations in Lyrics

57 location references across 28 songs

Songs & Places

Rainbow Stew
Washington, DC
"When a president goes through the white house doors"
I’m a White Boy
Oildale, CA
"I’m a small town boy been around a little"
Life of a Rodeo Cowboy
Mesquite, TX
"And there's a rodeo down in Mesquite"
Are the Good Times Really Over (I Wish a Buck Was Still Silver)
Philadelphia, PA Detroit, MI Tupelo, MS Memphis, TN Yorba Linda, CA San Clemente, CA
"the Liberty Bell"
It’s All Going to Pot
Lynchburg, TN Abbott, TX Austin, TX Bakersfield, CA
"All of the whiskey in Lynchburg, Tennessee"
Big City
Montana
"Somewhere in the middle of Montana"
Okie from Muskogee
Muskogee, OK Oklahoma San Francisco, CA
"We don't smoke marijuana in Muskogee"
Mama Tried
Bakersfield, CA
"The first thing I remember knowin' Was a lonesome whistle blowin'"
The Way I Am
Bayou Country, LA
"Wish I were down on some blue bayou"
My Favorite Memory
Shasta Lake, CA London, KY
"Like the winter we spent on Lake Shasta"
Pancho and Lefty
Ohio Cleveland, OH
"Lefty split for Ohio"
A Tribute to the Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World
Turkey, TX
"Best damn fiddle player in the world"
Goodbye Lefty
Corsicana, TX El Dorado, AR Nashville, TN
"Goodbye Lefty"
If We Make It Through December
California
"Maybe even California"
Huntsville
Huntsville, TX Dallas, TX US-Mexico Border
"They're taking me down to Huntsville, I'm bringing in a load of time"
Kern River
Kern River, CA Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA Bakersfield, CA Lakehead, CA South San Joaquin, CA Dust Bowl Mount Whitney, CA
"I'll never swim Kern River again"
Lucky Old Colorado
California Denver, CO Colorado
"I met her here in California"
Tell Me Something Bad About Tulsa
Tulsa, OK Oklahoma Oklahoma Oil Region, OK
"Tell me something bad about Tulsa"
Okie from Muskogee (Live)
Muskogee, OK Oklahoma
"Song about Muskogee"
Okie from Muskogee (Re-Recorded)
Muskogee, OK
"Song about Muskogee"
The Okie from Muskogee's Comin' Home
Muskogee, OK
"Song about Muskogee"
The Okie from Muskogee’s Comin’ Home
Muskogee, OK Oklahoma
"The Okie from Muskogee is coming home"
Sing Me Back Home
off the street
"I recall last Sunday morning a choir from off the street"
Workin Man Blues
Bakersfield, CA
The Legend of Bonnie and Clyde
Gibsland, LA Arcadia, LA Dallas, TX Joplin, MO
From Graceland to the Promised Land
Memphis, TN
"From Graceland to the Promised Land"
A Friend in California
Fort Worth, TX
One Row at a Time
Waco, TX

Rivers & Roads in Song Nearby

California State Route 99 3 Interstate 5 15

Connected Places

Oildale, CA Bakersfield, CA Cleveland, OH Denver, CO Lynchburg, TN Mesquite, TX Muskogee, OK Philadelphia, PA San Francisco, CA The White House, DC Washington, DC
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