American Songwriter

“Are You Ready for Your Song, Mama?”: Merle Haggard Singing This Country Classic to His Mom Hits Like a Hammer to the Heart

Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried” is a certified country classic. Many fans of the genre know the words by heart and some have lived them. For the most part, Haggard lived the story that unfolds in the ...
Rolling Stone

Why Merle Haggard’s ‘Mama Tried’ Is His Most Autobiographical Song. Even Though He Wrote It for a Movie Soundtrack.

Before “Okie From Muskogee” became his signature song and before “If We Make It Through December” became his biggest crossover hit, Merle Haggard’s best-known song was the one where he came clean ...