The
world lost yet another legend on April 6, 2016 when Merle Haggard passed away.
Haggard had been known for producing a different type of country music, often
referred to as Bakersfield Sound, for over 50 years. Despite his passing,
Haggard is still greatly respected and known for his ability to combine
introspective lyrics, such as stories about his previous incarcerations and of
friends that have passed, with lyrics that convey both hope and humor. These
lyrics, combined with the soulful instrumentalism of his songs, has made for
decades of emotional and relatable tracks.
Haggard
had grown up in Bakersfield, California during the Depression-era where he had
lived with his family in a converted box car. When he was a child, his mother
had been left to fend for their entire family after the passing of his father;
because of this, he was left to his own devices and ended up growing into
somewhat of a rebel. After being released from prison for offenses like
truancy, phony checks, and grand theft auto, Haggard had managed to make money
by working in the oil fields during the day and by playing guitar in local bars
at night. By 1970, when he was just over the age of 30, Haggard had produced a
running streak of hit albums and tracks after signing on with Tally Records and
then again with Capitol Records. Throughout this period of success, Haggard
became notorious for his Honky-Tonk vibes and resonant guitar melodies that
built up the genre of Bakersfield Sound and brought rise of competition to the
trendy Nashville Sound.
Bakersfield
Sound is a strain of country music that was established in the early 1950’s,
and began to grow within the following decade. During this time, Nashville
Sound had been the genre of music that was dominating the country and western
charts and proved to be the ultimate rival of Bakersfield Sound. Unlike
Bakersfield Sound, Nashville Sound consisted of dramatic strings, annoyingly
pleasant background singers, and a smoothness that is oddly reminiscent of
modern day pop music. Bakersfield Sound’s traditional country style in
comparison to the slick styles of Nashville Sound made it an obvious rebellion
against such new-age music.
In
the 1966 album, Swinging Doors, Haggard
finds a way to incorporate his traditional country and honky-tonk vibes of
Bakersfield Sound with jazz and a slight bit of rock to create an album that
sounded completely unlike anything else from the time. Going against what was
popular for his time, Haggard had stayed with his traditional approach to
songwriting and continued to write about the sorrowful accounts of his life.
When listening to the album, his voice hardly ever wavers and achieves maximum
sentimentality, and therefore relatability, by doing so. While all of the
lyricism is great and important, another element of this album to notice is its
simple instrumentation. The main, if not only, instruments used for this album
had been the guitar, bass, drums, and piano. These four instruments come
together in each track to create an extremely dynamic album.
Moving
on, here is a track-by-track analysis of Merle Haggard’s Swinging Doors:
“Swinging
Doors”
Listening
to this song, it is no wonder how it became Haggard’s first top 5 hit. The
stereotypical wailing of the guitar mixed in with an upbeat and cheerful beat
from the drums could lure in anybody no matter what their mood is. In addition
to this relatable melody, the story of having a simple life with a lover are
simply enticing to anyone who just wishes for a happy life.
“If
I Could Be Him”
The
demure beat laid out by the drums establishes a simple and peaceful melody for
this track. This minimalism in instrumentals focuses attention solely on the
vocals and lyricism of this song that speak of a love triangle that has been
created. With a story as common and hard-hitting as such, this song was one to
gain a good amount of attention on the album.
“The
Longer You Wait”
Again,
the relatability of the lyrics within this song as well as the ease at which
you can listen to it make this track a winner. Back with an upbeat and guitar-driven
melody, people that are both ecstatic and depressed could easily enjoy this
modest track.
“I’ll Look You Over”
Piano
and background vocalists are a major component of this track. The melodic
scales of the piano finally introduce listeners to the influences of jazz that
Haggard was known for incorporating into his music. Additionally, the
background vocalists force Haggard’s voice to become more dynamic and melodic
than ever before. Overall, this track expands even further on Haggard’s talents.
“I
Can’t Stand Me”
Speaking
of showing off his talent, this track exemplifies Haggard’s incorporation of
rock and roll within his music. The intense drumming and wailing of the guitar
work together to create the familiar beats and tones of the genre while also
managing to create a track that anyone could easily jam out to.
“The
Girl Turned Ripe”
Doing
a total 180o from the previous track is this song. While the upbeat
vibes and light lyrics remain the same, the instrumentalism turns into straight
Honkey-Tonk that is emphasized greatly by the large amounts of guitar picking
that are done in this track.
“The
Bottle Let Me Down”
This
track had been yet another great him from this album. Despite how depressing
the lyrics are, the truth is that they are extremely relatable to anyone who
has ever tried to drink away their problems. As dark as this topic is, this
track is still able to attract listeners by featuring the wailing guitar that
country music is known for and mixing it with a very passive melody.
“No
More You and Me”
Yet
another track that displays Haggard’s skill. His vocals are slightly varied in
this track to create a more dynamic melody without instrumentation; but then,
in the times of silence, guitar flares create a sudden accent in the song that
is unlike any other that is heard in the album.
“Somebody
Else You’ve Known”
Even
though this track isn’t one of the most popular or unique from the album, the energetic
guitar flares and simple lyrics create a song that is cheerful and easy on both
the ears and hearts of listeners.
“High
on a Hilltop”
Even
though most songs on this album are relatively upbeat and cheerful, this would
have to be the one exception. In no way does this mean it is a bad song;
however, the guitar in this track establishes a very slow moving melody that
seems almost sorrowful. Along with this, Haggard’s vocals remain sturdy and
unwavering throughout the piece which creates an overall somber mood for the
track.
“This
Town’s Not Big Enough”
When
I think of traditional country music, this track is an example of what would
come to mind. This track returns the album to a cheerful mood by incorporating
an exceptionally bouncy beat from the drums along with the classic guitar
scales of old country.
“Shade
Tree”
This
track is the one to finish out the album on a high note. The jazz influences
are back in this track with the heavy piano melodies and vocals that seem to
swing back and forth. This track truly leaves listeners off with an example of
how dynamic Haggard was in both his musical styles and talents.
While
the lasting impacts of Merle Haggard on the music industry and culture
surrounding it may not be easily identifiable, they are certainly there. During
the 60’s, when Haggard was acquiring all of his fame, his music had been
identified as Bakersfield Sound. This genre had been battling the popular
Nashville Sound in the music charts at the time and began to prove that the
classic Honky-Tonk inspired country music would always be loved and relevant in
the music industry. By being able to do as well, if not better, than the slick
country-pop music of the time, a new genre was formed and showed that new is
not always better. With the genre of Bakersfield Sound that Haggard had worked
to create came a new generation of musicians that were becoming inspired.
Amongst this generation is none other than George Strait, a famous country
musician. Strait claims that the lyricism, catchy tunes, and powerful
performances of Haggard are what inspired him to grow up to be just like “Hag”.
With
a new generation of musicians that aspire and look up to Haggard, it is safe to
say that the principles and styles that made up his music will continue to live
on in modern day country music and in the hearts of those who listen to it.
Rest In Peace Merle Haggard