Mama Tried

(merle haggard)



First thing i remember knowin'

Was a lonesome whistle blowin'

And a young one's dream of growin' up to ride

On a freight train leavin' town

Not knowin' where i'm bound

No one could steer me right

But mama tried



One and only rebel child

From a family meek and mild

My mama seemed to know what lay in store

In spite of all my sunday learnin'

Toward the bad i kept on turnin'

Till mama couldn't hold me anymore



And i turned twenty-one in prison

Doin' life without parole

No one could steer me right

But mama tried mama tried

Mama tried to raise me better

But her pleading i denied

And that leaves only me to blame

'cause mama tried



And then there was another man from texas.

My mama and daddy used to drive for

Miles and miles just to listen to him sing.

I remember mama used to tell me.

She'd say "reba he's got the best voice i've ever heard"

And then later on when i got to go and listen to him sing,

I'd sit there all night long and wait for

Ray price to sing the blues.


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