Mama Tried (song)
"Mama Tried" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Ken Nelson | ||||
Merle Haggard and The Strangers singles chronology | ||||
|
"Mama Tried" is a song written and recorded by American
Background
In "Mama Tried", Haggard focuses on the pain and suffering he caused his own mother by being incarcerated in 1957 in
However, the song is not literally autobiographical, as many country music historians point out. While writer Bill Malone's assessment of the song is in agreement with Ace Collins' (referring to his own experiences that saw him sentenced to prison), Malone points out that Haggard never was sentenced to "
Additionally,
Malone notes that "Mama Tried" "recalls for us the 1960s
Chart performance
Released in July 1968, Mama Tried was Merle Haggard and
Chart (1968) | Peak position |
---|---|
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles [5] | 1 |
Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
In popular culture
Haggard's version of "Mama Tried" was on the soundtrack of the 1968 film Killers Three, a film which featured his acting debut.
The words Mama Tried—referring to the song—are shown on Miranda Lambert's shirt in several scenes of the music video Kerosene.
In the 1997 documentary about the making of the film From Dusk till Dawn, known as Full Tilt Boogie, Quentin Tarantino can be seen singing the song with others whilst on the set.
In the 5th-season finale of Gilmore Girls ("A House is Not a Home," 2005), Stars Hollow's "Town Troubadour" is singing the song on a street corner soon after Lorelai brings Rory home from a night in jail.
In the 2008 film The Strangers, the song is used to build tension whilst also referencing the potential poor upbringing of the films' antagonists. Haggard's own band was also called The Strangers.
In the 2nd series of the 2008 UK television series Survivors, the song is often played and sung by truck driver Billy Stringer.
In 2010, the song was sung as a plot element by Nate Moretta (Kevin Alejandro) to a young incarcerated Hispanic gang member on TNT's Southland season 2 premiere "Phase Three".
In April 2018 it was used in Fear the Walking Dead Season 4 episode 2, and again in November 2023 in the series finale.
The song was referenced by Riley Green in his song "I Wish Grandpas Never Died."
The song was referenced in the chorus of Hardy's song "Redneck Tendencies" featuring Trace Adkins and the late Joe Diffie
Cover versions
The Grateful Dead covered the song regularly, playing it over 300 times live throughout their career, including at Woodstock.
David Allan Coe covered it. It appears on several compilation albums including "Truckin' Outlaw" and "20 Greatest Hits".
The song has been a live standard for Texas alt-country band Old 97's for their entire career, and was recorded for their debut album.
American Oi! band Forced Reality covered the song. It appears on their Unheard, Unreleased, and Under the Boot compilation.
The Seldom Scene covered the song on their 2007 Sugar Hill Records release, SCENEchronized.
American bluegrass band Greensky Bluegrass have played the song many times at live shows.
Ray LaMontagne includes the song in many live shows.
Comedian Neil Hamburger recorded and released a version on his 2014 LP "First of Dismay".
A demo recording of "Mama Tried" was recorded by Jim Croce. It was released in the 2003 Jim Croce compilation Home Recordings: Americana.
Other recorded versions include:
- Blues man Albert Lee
- Commander Cody of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen
- Conway Twitty
- Johnny Cash with Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson
- John Anderson
- Merle Haggard with Buck Owens and Willie Nelson
- Merle Haggard with Conway Twitty
- Ray Price and Willie Nelson
- Merle Haggard with Roger Miller and Bill Anderson
- Merle Haggard with Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings
- Percy Sledge
- Randy Travis
- Reba McEntire
- The Buckaroos
- The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
- Toby Keith with Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson
- Troy Cassar-Daley with Adam Harvey
- Willie Nelson
- The Dirty Nil
- Reina del Cid
- Clive Gregson and Christine Collister
- Eli "Paperboy" Reed
See also
- Momma's Waiting
References
- ^ "New Entries to National Recording Registry | News Releases - Library of Congress". Loc.gov. Retrieved 2016-10-02.
- ^ "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. 2021-09-15. Retrieved 2022-07-05.
- ISBN 1-57297-072-3)
- ^ a b c Malone, Bill, The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Country Music ((booklet included with The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Country Music 8-volume set). Smithsonian Institution, 1981).
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 146.