Merle Haggard Quotes

By the time you get close to the answers, it's nearly all over.

Lay in the weeds and wait, and when you get your chance to say something, say something good.

I'll tell you what the public likes more than anything, it's the most rare commodity in the world - honesty.

Momma tried to raise me better, but her pleading I denied, and that leaves only me to blame, cause Momma tried.

I wish coke was still cola and a joint was a bad place to be.

Faith is the only way we're going to make it. None of us are smart enough to do it on our own.

Running down on a way of life our fighting men have fought and died to keep. If you don't love it, leave it.

The only thing that I miss lately in all music is somebody that will put out a melody that you can whistle. It doesn't seem like there's anything happening like that.

Willie Nelson's the one who told me the reason it costs so much to get divorced is because it's worth it.

If I hear another line dance song I think I'm going to puke.

A house without love ain't a home.

Stop rolling down hill like a snow ball headed for hell.

Hey, hey, the working man, the working man like me. I ain't never been on welfare, that's one place I won't be.

And there's some Latino music I like, and some reggae music.

To be part of what you're singing about is somewhat painful. You've got to climb inside it all.

I enjoy the videos with the sound off, where you can look at the belly buttons and everything. Really some pretty girls, but I don't know about the music.

There's just a few people that call themselves stars can actually sit down with a guitar and sing you a song.

There's one thing I never did do, and that was stink.

It's a long way from Graceland across Jordan to the Promised Land, but Jesus finally came to lead him home.

In 1960, when I came out of prison as an ex-convict, I had more freedom under parolee supervision than there's available... in America right now.

There's two kind of cherries, and two kind of fairies, and two kind of mothers I'm told.

We are under [government's] control, and if people don't realize that, they haven't looked around. And if they're not paranoid, they haven't thought about it.

Read about some squirrelly guy who claims that he just don't believe in fighting, and I wonder how long the rest of us can count on being free.

The Captain just gave us our orders, and Mom we must carry them through. I'll finish this letter first chance I get, but for now I'll just say I love you.

It's easier to force feed people than it is to give 'em what they want. It makes more money.

It sounds like something from a Woody Guthrie song, but it's true; I was raised in a freight car.

Heaven knows that alcohol is the worst thing in the world, but it's debatable whether cocaine is worse than caffeine or whether it's the same thing and they just changed the name.

Guitar playing is very important to me. It's like golf to some other people; it's important to me that I play good.

When you get to readin' about where the music and John Steinbeck and all those people like that come from, the further you go the more interesting it becomes.

Back when the country was strong, back before Elvis and before the Vietnam war came along.

Staring at the world through the bottom of a glass, all I see is a man who's fading fast.

If I had a choice, and there was a "Y" in the road, I would always take the one that was more fun as opposed to the one that might make me more money.

I can't really say why everyone loves Bob Wills' music, but I have yet to meet a person who didn't like it.

The guitar's not all that expensive either, when you compare it to gettin' a toothpulled or something.

Before the Beatles and yesterday, when a man could still work and still would.

I'm proud to be an Oakie from Muskogee, a place where even squares can have a ball. We still wave Old Glory down at the courthouse and white lightning's still the biggest thrill of all.

I think I'm most proud of my family right now. I'm more into that then I've ever been. It also gives a new area to draw from in creativity with my songs.

Despite of all my Sunday learnin', toward the bad I kept turning.

Well, I'm kinda like George Carlin. I think that there ought to be a time where everybody should have all the drugs they want and there'd be nobody in charge, sort of like... now!

I'm just writin' about my little ol' love affair.

I probably wouldn't even be here now if it weren't for chiropractic

Evolution is a laughing matter for anybody that's got a rational mind.

The one true friend I thought I'd found, tonight the bottle let me down.

No, it's not love, but it's not bad.

Diana Krall knocks me out. I like jazz and I like her simple approach.

Everybody likes Johnny Cash. I think the sad part of it is his health is givin' him problems.

It makes my wife mad, you know, she wants me to stay home all the time. But its what I've done all my life and I think when I quit doing it I'll probably go away pretty quick.

I don't think there's ever been a friendly divorce.

I was 48-years old before anybody talked me into it for medicinal purposes, instead of some of these drugs that they give you that will lead you to heart surgery and things of that nature.

At my age, I don't buy but a half a loaf of bread, you know?