People are always bound to misinterpret things we say, despite our best intentions. If we aren't thoughtful enough, we could very easily mess up how things could come across. This is especially true if you say something that could read as controversial. You never know how people digest things or their viewpoints. Consequently, guys like Merle Haggard end up potentially rubbing certain people the wrong way. Even his biggest, most unanimously loved hits could make someone raise an eyebrow.
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In an article with Spin in 1988, Haggard opens up about his illustrious career, as well as the controversies that came along the way. One moment in the interview sees him reflect on his songwriting. Ultimately, he finds the truth of his expression to be most important, regardless if it rubs people the wrong way. Honesty is everything I first thought it was," Merle says.
"I mean, if there's anything we got out of all those Saturday afternoon Roy Rogers movies, it was that the good guy always wins. Somehow, I still believe that no matter how it's sifted, the cream will still rise to the top. I think writing songs, they either come from my heart or they seem to come in on some frequency. There are some songs that really just come through me."
Consequently, when it came time for Haggard to cut "Okie From Muskogee," a complicated rumination on patriotism, he kept it real. It was a serious time in America, a period when there were lots of serious disagreements. Things that had been accepted for years suddenly weren't accepted any more... and that part of it, I agreed with thoroughly. I liked that," Merle explains.
Merle Haggard Opens Up On How His Raw, Honest Songwriting and The Consequences Behind It
"But the thing that bothered me was that some of the people known as longhairs were burning the American flag. It wasn't popular to be patriotic then. I had a brother who was a Marine and I grew up saluting the flag. I believed in it, I really did. So, I just didn't go along with it," Merle continues. "I didn't give a shit how long their hair was. But the fact that the ones with long hair were the ones burning the damn flag — I didn't like it. I still don't.
"See, I've got to go with this flag until they hang up one that's better. It seemed like everyone had a problem and was disagreeing with everything. But, no one had a solution to anything — and it certainly wasn't burning the flag."
The same idea applies to Merle when cutting "The Fightin' Side of Me" too. "We put it out and it started following in the patriotic tradition of 'Okie.' But it probably raised more difficulty because it insinuated some kind of violence," Merle admits. "To me, it's a matter of freedom of song — just like freedom of speech. There's really no difference. Besides, people who complain about stuff like that are also likely to get on my fightin' side."
