Merle Haggard had a No. 1 hit in 1972 with "The Roots of My Raising." Haggard penned a lot of his own songs, but this one wasn't written by Haggard. Instead, Haggard's close friend, Tommy Collins, wrote the song, although Haggard laid claim to it before it was even finished.
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According to
Classic Country Music Stories, Collins was inspired to write the song by thinking about this own childhood in Oklahoma. Although Haggard was born in California, he still resonated enough with the song to make it his own."The Roots of My Raising" was a bit of an anomaly for Haggard at the time. The song, which Haggard released with his band, The Strangers, was only his fifth No. 1 at the time that he didn't write. Ironically, the last No. 1 he had that he didn't write, prior to this song was "Kentucky Gambler," written by Dolly Parton.
"Okie From Muskogee" And Merle Haggard
Haggard didn't write all of his hit singles, but he wrote a lot of them, including one of his most iconic songs, "Okie From Muskogee." The song, which stayed at the top of the charts for four weeks, was inspired by the Vietnam War.
"During Vietnam, there were all kinds of protests," Haggard tells The Boot. "Here were these [servicemen] going over there and dying for a cause. We don't even know what it was really all about ,and here are these young kids, that were free, b---hing about it. There's something wrong with that and with [disparaging] those poor guys.
"We were in a wonderful time in America, and music was in a wonderful place. America was at its peak, and what the hell did these kids have to complain about?" he adds. "These soldiers were giving up their freedom and lives to make sure others could stay free. I wrote the song to support those soldiers."
"Okie From Muskogee" also earned Haggard a CMA Award for Single of the Year in 1970. The song was the title track of Haggard's first live album, which earned him another CMA Award, for Album of the Year. "Okie From Muskogee" was also nominated for Song of the Year. That trophy went to Kris Kristofferson, for "Sunday Morning Coming Down."
