I guess I was nearly dead, i had double pneumonia … they couldn’t tell whether I had cancer returned, or whether I just had pneumonia. They had to wait ’til they got the pneumonia under control before we could tell. So it’s been kind of a tough couple of weeks, but I’ve got so many people to thank.

Merle Haggard

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We need to have music that contributes to the well-being of the spirit. Music that cradles people's lives and makes things a little easier. That's what I try to do, and what I want to do. You don't want to close the door on hope.

Merle Haggard

music hope life

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

Merle Haggard

answers

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

Merle Haggard

weed chance waiting

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

Merle Haggard

smart enough way

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

Merle Haggard

likes honesty world

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

Merle Haggard

blame family causes

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

Merle Haggard

drug alcohol wish

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

Merle Haggard

fighting running men

Keep your opinions to yourself. I think it's important that I stay neutral on politics and remain hard to understand. I don't want to be pigeonholed as conservative, liberal, independent or anything. I back the man for the things the man believes in, not whether it says "R" or "D" down there beside his name.

Merle Haggard

independent men believe

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.

Merle Haggard

melody music-is missing-you

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

Merle Haggard

divorced cost reason

This is America. We're proud. We're not afraid of a bunch of terrorists. But this government is all about terror alerts and scaring us at airports. We're changing the Constitution out of fear. We spend all our time looking up each other's dresses. Fear's the only issue the Republican Party has. Vote for them, or the terrorists will win. That's not what Reagan was about. I hate to think about our soldiers over in Iraq fighting for a country that's slipping away.

Merle Haggard

party hate country

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.

Merle Haggard

choices fun

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

Merle Haggard

lines song thinking

There's two or three kids out there trying to make good music, and the rest of them sound like it's been strained through some kind of white toast or something. It all sounds just too neat and perfect, with no surprise to it at all. No story, no nothing. It's like building cars, like an assembly line. It doesn't sound like anything that came from a guitar.

Merle Haggard

guitar two kids

A house without love ain't a home.

Merle Haggard

without-love house home

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

Merle Haggard

singing painful country

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.

Merle Haggard

hey work men

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

Merle Haggard

rolling evil snow

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

Merle Haggard

land home jesus