May I recommend a very good interview with Merle Haggard.

[LiberalArkie]

Fifty years ago there was as much freedom in San Quentin as there is in the streets of New York today, with obvious exceptions. You’re just as likely to have a police officer throw down on you with a .30-30 in New York as you are in San Quentin.

The entire article is at:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13520363/site/newsweek/

[nosmokes]

1. merle's come a long way since okie from muscogee

i remember driving into muscogee in the mid '70s and seeing the side of some building where someone had spray painted in 6' letters *merle haggard sucks*

the thing is, i think even ole merle was smokin those funny cigarettes back then.

[madokie]

3. you do mean the left handed type, right

:hippie:

[enigmatic]

7. He was

He's said in a few interviews that "Okie" was a joke; he WAS indulging way back when:)

[madokie]

2. I can sit and listen to Merle Haggard for hours and never tire of him

:hi: neighbor

[Metta]

4. "When you're runnin' down my country, hoss, you're walkin'

on the fightin' side of me." I once saw him sing this and Oakie after draping himself in a seven foot flag. Didn't exactly win me over to him then in 1967 or so.

[madokie]

5. Hell I thought he was a traitor for years

[Metta]

8. I thought he was an ign'nt redneck who had too much Kool-Aid.

I'm glad he's waking up.

[madokie]

9. couldn't have put it any better myself

[INdemo]

10. He was pardoned by Nixon so he

couldn't really be to forceful with his opinions except in song. I was surprised wth this interview ..really

[TomInTib]

6. Do you have the "Tulare Dust" compilation (various artists)?

A phenomenal piece of work.

check this out, there are some samples, too:
http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,203787,00.html