Fightin' Side Of Me
1970 · Capitol 2719 · Los Angeles, California
- Artist
- Merle Haggard
- Title
- Fightin' Side Of Me
- Release
- The Fightin' Side of Me / Every Fool Has a Rainbow
- Year
- 1970
- Label
- Capitol # 2719
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Genre
- Country · Country
- Primary theme
- US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs
Annotation
Merle Haggard, born in Bakersfield, California, in 1937, especially known as a guitarist, vocalist, and fiddler, developed into one of the most influential artists in the country music genre. (1) In September 1969 he had released the very popular and successful single "Okie From Muskogee" (Capitol Records # 2626) which attacked draft-card burners and the counter-culture, and re-enforced patriotic, conservative views. Shortly after, in January 1970, he followed up with this equally pro-government, flag-waving song "The Fightin' Side of Me" (Capitol # 2719). This single also had a big-impact, reaching # 1 in the Billboard country singles chart on 14 March 1970, where it stayed for three weeks. (2) It also reached # 92 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart, on 28 February. (3) The 1970 live album, also called The Fightin' Side of Me (Capitol # ST-451), reached # 1 in the country LP charts. (4) Haggard also referenced the Vietnam War in the 1972 single "I Wonder If They Ever Think About Me" (a P.O.W. song), the 1982 single "Are the Good Times Really Over" (Epic Records # 14-02894), and the song "Me and Crippled Soldiers" on the 1990 album Blue Jungle. During the Vietnam era, he also released…
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
About the artist
Born 6 April 1937, Oildale, California, USA. Country singer-songwriter and pioneer of the Bakersfield Sound (Okie from Muskogee, The Fightin' Side of Me). Died 6 April 2016 at his home in Palo Cedro, California, USA. [Source: Wikipedia]
Themes
In collections
Draft Songs · US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs