The typical Nashville-sound was a popular subgenre that ignited the interests of middle and upper class listeners by tending to stay away from drug references and the stereotypical southern \u201cbumpkin\u201d style of living. \u201cOkie\u201d is a great example of how the new Bakersfield sound challenged typical mainstream country because the song\u2019s literal meaning is an implementation of the artist\u2019s pride in being from a \u201cbumpkin\u201d town in Oklahoma during a time of vast migration and change. The success of \u201cOkie From Muskogee\u201d attributed to Haggard becoming a well-established artist by the 1970\u2019s, and from the numerous hits that followed throughout his career, Haggard eventually landed in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1994. During his youth, Haggard served jail time for a few minor offenses, which he later admitted in an interview that he knew \u201cwhat it was like to have freedom taken away\u201d. Haggard believed that \u201cfreedom was everything\u201d, which ended up being a key ingredient in writing his hit song. These feelings led to the first instance of controversy that the song ignited.<\/p>\n
The Vietnam War was more than just a war; it was a cultural milestone for the music industry, as it influenced the production of some of the greatest songs in history. The young activists\u00a0who protested rising racial tensions, assassinations, and the division of views concerning the War were huge contributors to the radicalization of America, but to Merle Haggard, the protesters were none other than \u201cfree young kids\u201d who were only \u201cbitching\u201d about a freedom that they already had while soldiers were the ones who actually fought and risked their lives. Several other country singers also began taking the side of the government in the War protests, such as Roy Clark\u2019s \u201cHee Haw Revolution<\/a>\u201d, which was a similar satirical take on the emergence of “hippie” protestors.<\/p>\n Haggard admitted in an interview that the song was written through his \u201cdisheartened emotions that evolved from watching the protests\u201d and was directly intended to support the troops that he felt so many \u201cdisparaged\u201d. \u201cOkie From Musgokee\u201d is a song that satirically pokes fun at the emerging \u201chippies out in San Francisco\u201d by reflecting on the traditionalism and true patriotism of small town middle America. The song\u2019s success however, was due to the fact that the intended satire was taken far too literally by both political parties, as songfacts.com<\/a> states that, \u201cit quickly became clear that many listeners really did despise the liberal, elite hippies in San Francisco and heard the song not as a commentary on the folly of intolerance, but as a song about southern pride\u201d. The song verse \u201cwe don\u2019t burn no draft cards down on Main Street\u201d is a great example of how important respecting the government was to Haggard and the frustration he and many others were feeling. \u201cOkie\u201d became known as the \u201canthem for conservatives\u201d and as a tribute to past generation Americans\u2014specifically Haggard\u2019s father\u2014who would be \u201cappalled at the way people were reacting\u201d to the reality of the War.<\/p>\n As most liberals at the time agreed that the song promoted conservative values, there were still many people who praised Haggard for his honesty and pride. President Richard Nixon was a big advocate for Haggard\u2019s \u201canthem\u201d, as he wrote him a letter in appreciation and even invited him to sing the song at the White House<\/a>. \u201cOkie\u201d received several instances of praise throughout history, like the documentation of the song\u2019s original lyrics on display at the Smithsonian Institute and the inclusion of a copy of the lyrics in a time capsule currently residing on the moon.<\/p>\n Not surprisingly, there were several people who did not<\/em> praise the song and found it extremely discomforting that Haggard was applauded by the president. The declaration of war collided with the rise of Black Power in 1960\u2019s America, and it soon became clear that Vietnam was the U.S.\u2019s first major conflict involving racial integration. A CMT exclusive episode<\/a> on \u201cOkie\u201d discusses how Black Panther Party activists during the era were examples of \u201ccounterculture\u201d leaders that deemed Haggard\u2019s song \u201cdivisive\u201d and claimed that the song was wrongfully profiling a certain segment of society. Although the song does not directly address the Civil Rights Movement, it was still perceived as offensive to those opposing Haggard\u2019s views. Because of the sudden uproar and disagreement with the song\u2019s interpreted politics, liberal-influenced radio stations quickly began banning the song from playing on their air stations. Although this caused Haggard to lose many television appearances, \u201cOkie From Muskogee\u201d continued to climb the charts and landed both the Country Music Association\u2019s single and<\/em> album of the year in 1970.<\/p>\n Due to the negativity that emerged from the production of the song, when Haggard began performing it, he was initially astonished by the reactions of his audiences. David Cantwell, author of Merle Haggard\u2019s biography, states, \u201c\u2019Okie\u2019 consistently prompted more than an enthusiastic applause and standing ovations that went on and on\u201d. It is understandable that some of the song\u2019s verses, such as \u201cwe don\u2019t let our hair grow long and shaggy\u201d, can be completely misinterpreted and offensive to many, but to Merle and his audiences, the song voiced views and values that were otherwise kept quiet and were expressed in a stylistic element that was ironically similar to the way the protesters spoke out against the War.<\/p>\n Haggard\u2019s expressive style attracted many other artists that followed him, including artists from different genres. Rock artists like Dean Martin, The Grateful Dead, and the Everly Brothers covered many of Haggard\u2019s songs due to the impact that the artist\u2019s music had on his audiences. The influence Haggard had on others is perfectly summarized in a Rolling Stone Magazine <\/em>review<\/a> written by Andy Whickam, where the author states that Haggard\u2019s success is \u201cresultant of his inherent ability to relate to his audience a commonplace experience with precisely the right emotional pitch\u201d. \u201cOkie From Muskogee\u201d was an anthem for the common \u201csilent majority\u201d of the era and set the tone for the future of patriotic songs. \u201cThe Fightin Side of Me<\/a>\u201d was another great hit by Haggard that held a similar message of values and politics, and modern country artist, Toby Keith, has admitted that those two songs were the \u201coriginal Angry American\u201d tunes that helped define Haggard\u2019s role in the music industry.<\/p>\n Haggard\u2019s song structure is also a very important element in the song\u2019s success. The song\u2019s verse-chorus structure is extremely catchy and reminiscent on traditional country sound with the unique implementation of the Bakersfield sound electrifying the vibes of the entire song. Haggard\u2019s smooth country twang is a great addition to the tone, as it gives character to the story being told in the lyrics, a famously stereotypical aspect that is seen in many country songs sung about the old south. The stylistic elements in \u201cOkie From Muskogee\u201d crafted a signature sound for the artist that continues to be heard in his songs throughout his career. Although Haggard\u2019s studio recording of \u201cOkie\u201d was the most successful, the live recordings of the song were also very popular. The live recordings consisted of excited crowds and Haggard\u2019s personal additions to the lyrics in the last two verses.<\/p>\n The success of the song and the success of the song\u2019s structure also encouraged many parodies to be created. \u201cOkie\u201d was first parodied by Chinga Chavin into a song called \u201cAsshole from El Paso<\/a>\u201d, that was then covered and made more successful by Kinky Friedman. The message conveyed in \u201cAsshole from El Paso\u201d is similar to \u201cOkie\u201d, as the lyrics are also a satirical representation of conservative views, but are much more right-winged, to say the least. Another parody emerged from Haggard\u2019s hit, which was more of a contrast to the original song than Chinga Chavin\u2019s parody. The song \u201cHippie from Olema<\/a>\u201d by the Youngbloods, was written in the same verse structure as the two-preceding songs, but the lyrical meanings differ, as seen in lines such as \u201cwhere we\u2019re friendly to the squares and all the straights\u201d and \u201cwe can\u2019t think of anyone to hate\u201d.<\/p>\n Despite the controversy that erupted during the time the song was created, \u201cOkie\u201d is a classic country hit that will remain one of the top country songs of all times. Merle Haggard performed his hit recently at the 2014 Grammy Awards<\/a> ceremony alongside Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and newcomer Blake Shelton as a tribute to the people who had recently lost their homes due to tornados in Oklahoma. The reaction from even the modern day audience goes to show how much of an impact Haggard\u2019s song and career had on the music industry and the American culture as a whole, as the diverse crowd stood and sang along to the entire song. Merle Haggard is an outlaw country singer for good reason, and between the reaction that occurred from the song and the controversial support that followed, it is clear why \u201cOkie From Muskogee\u201d has been such a cultural touchstone for country music.<\/p>\n _______________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n Works Cited<\/p>\n Berlau, John. “The Battle Over “Okie From Muskogee”<\/a>” Weekly Standard<\/em>. The Weekly Standard, 18 Aug. 1996. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.<\/p>\n Cantwell, David. Merle Haggard: The Running Kind<\/em>. Austin: U of Texas, 2013. Print.<\/p>\n Controversy : Okie From Muskogee<\/a><\/em>. Perf. Merle Haggard, Richard Nixon. N.d. CMT: Country Music Television<\/em>. CMT. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.<\/p>\n Harmetz, Aljean. “Reagan Entertained by Singer He Once Pardoned.<\/a>”\u00a0The New York Times<\/i>. The New York Times, 07 Mar. 1982. Web. 01 Mar. 2016.<\/p>\n “Okie From Muskogee by Merle Haggard Songfacts.<\/a>” Okie From Muskogee by Merle Haggard Songfacts<\/em>. Song Facts, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.<\/p>\n Wickham, Andy. “Merle Haggard Album Review.<\/a>” Rolling Stone<\/em>. Rolling Stone Magazine, 1 Mar. 1969. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Written by Mae Nixon. March 1, 2016. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-iYY2FQHFwE The song \u201cOkie From Muskogee\u201d, by country icon Merle Haggard, was as controversial as it was successful. Released in 1969, the song soared to immediate popularity reaching #1 on the Billboard Magazine … Continue reading ![\"635655192472368264-StagecoachMerleHaggard1314\"](\"http:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2016\/03\/635655192472368264-StagecoachMerleHaggard1314-225x300.jpg\")
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