Merle Haggard-If We Make It Through December

[doubtful777]

Wish country music would go back to thinking this kind of music is what needs playing, not the stuff that is on the radio now. He will always be up there in my book. 

[BebeZed]

Even though Merle was kind of an arse he was an undeniable talent and I respect him for that... and this is perhaps my fave song by the Hag... it's poignant and just right...

[drrex41591]

Me and my daddy were goon to bama a few years back and he said what do you want to listen to I said lets here some hag everytime I hear Merle I think of my dad he raised me listing to good country and its made me the man I am today that's why I love my dad so much he raised me to be a good hard working man and one day ill do the same for my son

[gaffneymusic]

Reminds me of a special girl. Memories of snow falling in a deep blanket of white in Reidsville, NC a few streets back and around a lot of corners. Thanks Merle

[hermangre]

Not to mention Rosalie Allen and the program "Prairie Stars". It must have been about 1948 when i heard her program. She is gone now, and where is the real stuff?

[barristerwolf]

One year I couldn't buy christmas for my family, and people who worked with my wife bought a single gift a piece and the boys got ten gifts each and they asked, "We thought you couldn't afford Christmas this year?" We told we couldn't.  They asked where the gifts came from, we told them, "You see, there really is a Santa Clause" He's in each and every one of us. Merry Christmas to all!

[Clonetrooper1139]

I think this song exemplifies the American spirit to a point. We hare having tough times, but we have been through worse and came through it.

[greatauntkk]

This one always get to me: no anger; just perseverance through trials and continued optimism that the future will be better.

[Memphis1943]

I do a Classic Country show on WEVL - Memphis. A listener called in on the last show to request "the best country Christmas song ever". Of course it is Merle singing this song. Amen.

Merru Christmas everyone.

[Stormclouds777]

I love this song. Im in a pinch because of a work injury...and all I can think of is my little 11 month old. :) This song makes me feel so good...

[MontNell29]

This song takes me back. Lots of memories good and bad but you learn to treasure the good time cause the bad times don't really matter anymore. You can't change the past just live for now and treasure life cause its so short. Merry Christmas everyone!!!!!!!!

[Baptistnomore]

I remember listening to this song when I was a sweeper in a flour mill in Montana. I would sing it along with the radio as I worked. It was cold as hell in part of the mill....."Got plans to be in a warmer place come summertime."

[TimMcCoy100]

Real country music. A wondrful job. I agree with the comments that most country music today that is played on stations isn't real country. This song also made me think of my dad. Wonderful times and memories. Just like old cars. Great songs never really grow old they are still around. God Bless America U.S.A. still the greatest country in the world.

[mmkcay1973]

This song reminds me of my daddy. I lost him when I was 16 and I can remember him listening to Merle all the time

....love it

[scraps270]

meaningfull music from a simpler time hope you all make it thru december......

[Butch32002]

I've loved this song since it was first sang by Merle. It reminds me of growing up in the late 50's and early 60's.

[hiwnnaka]

reminds me of my daddy...

[LONELY8008]

wow Awesome , how i love the old american songs <3

[theguyforthat]

Ihave two little boys 5 and 7. i have been without work for two years. i have been doing handyman work and anything i can get to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. this will be a very sparse x-mas and it breaks my heart to let them down on x-mas morning. they deserve better.

[RDarth]

@theguyforthat

Sorry to hear. Hang in there.

[LordHellbeast]

This song speaks to me. I got layed off last month. Trying to find work. It's going to be a tough Christmas this year.

[worseto1]

this is real country!

[purpleskycalm]

I lived in Charleston West Va. when Merle recorded this.....A lot of my friends have come and gone since then....I live back home now in

Virginia, we pull up Merle every chance we get....Remeber when the "Grateful Dead " did "I turned 21 in prison doing life without parole"

[ezrider0037]

Merle your the man love you brother!

[Msdinkeycreek]

This song has always reminded me of my years of being a single parent. It just seems like all the bad usually happened in December. That was a LONG time ago.

[arhuxtable]

One of my good buddies is a longtime fan of Merle Haggard and many other classic country music artists. I remember at various Karaoke sessions he would sing MAMA TRIED. I even sang OKIE FROM MUSKOGEE a number of times myself.

[BeckyB289]

Great song by the Hag!!

[KPD209]

I remember my dad, also a WWII Navy Vet, hitchhiking 12 miles to work in the middle of winter, just to put food on the table for mom and 7 kids......and his struggle to buy us each a couple of cheap presents.....my God! where did we get men like that?

[simwrangler]

Today's so call "country" singers need to listen to Merle Haggard, Don Williams, & Waylon Jennings and a lot of these older singers to know what REAL country music is. This crap they play on "country" radio is NOT country music.

[arhuxtable]

You're saying artists like Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood are crap.

[simwrangler]

@arhuxtable I like Carrie Underwood, but she's not REAL country, she's more like pop. And yes Taylor Swift is crap. Taylor Swift is autotuned, because she sounds nothing like her recording when she sings live. When Taylor Swift sings live, she's flat and out of tune.

[arhuxtable]

There are some songs performed live that hardly sound like their studio counterparts.

[sunnyraye34]

@simwrangler I agree with ya totally.

[mrcraigis40]

@simwrangler I agree with you 100% on that. todays country has no heart, no soul.

[tennforever]

@simwrangler ....Amen, Amen and Amen. They're nowhere near country. God Bless Merle.

[kba95630]

@simwrangler I love the old stuff best too. But music changes and tastes differ. No need to call anyone's music crap. Brad Paisley isn't Merle Haggard, but "crap"? I don't think so. Dwight Yoakam crap? Merle, Don, Waylon, and Buck and George blazed a trail by doing something different from the Nashvilled sound. God bless those who continue to create and innovate, even if it's not your favorite sound.

[simwrangler]

@kba95630 I never said Dwight Yoakam is crap. But Taylor Swift is crap. When she sings live she is flat and off key big time. Rascal Flats is crap. The lead singer sounds like a cat in a blender.

[dcpan61]

Nevada Boss, amen to you, brother. Amen amen.

[wwwcritic]

Merle Haggard is a great singer. This is probably my favorite of his songs, and I was glad to see him receive the Kennedy Center Honor .

[janeinthemtns]

Always makes me think of working on the Trans Alaska Pipeline Project. What a mess.

[available1731]

He is my favorite singer. Everyone tries to sing like him.Joe Goodman.

[available1731]

He is my favorite singer. Everyone tries to sing like him.

[Cotez74]

Yes I think of my dad too. I remember when really young and times were tight, he always made Christmas special. He worked his ass off to retire at 50 (which he did) but died two years later form cancer...anyway life is too short live love and be happy. Christmas is just the time for that. I plan on making Christmas for my daughter like he made it for me.

[proudpirate14]

@Cotez74 this makes me think of my dad as well...he died at the age of 50 and I really miss him...he was a hard worker too...kids just don't know how lucky they are these days..sad

[oldisgold42]

-I listen to this song every year to help with mums passing.

I will make it through December...without her.

[TVChickadee]

I appreciate everyones comments so much. my Dad used to torture us with country music when my brothers and I were young. I find myself going back now and listening to songs like this and I am missing my dad so much it hurts.

[ACORNSUCKS]

@TVChickadee amen.....

[TVChickadee]

I appreciate everyones comments so much. my Dad used to torture us with country music when my brothers and I were young. I find myself going back now and listening to songs like this and I am missing my dad so much it hurts.

[biastg]

I'm living this song right now. The day will come some day, some day, when no hard working man or woman will ever, EVER, have to tell a son or daughter that unemployment has robbed them of a merry Christmas. Earning a living has to be a right, just like freedom of speech and religion.

[viv062540]

Every time I hear this song it brings back memories of my husband. He always started singing this song in December. So now every December I have to play it and think of him. His dad worked in a furniture factory until he was forced to retire at the age of 70. He raised 8 children all 5 boys and one daughter was in service.Navy, Air Force, or Army. So as I read the comment of meddetect10 I thought of both my husband and my Father in-law. Vivian

[TheTater1984]

this is my favorite country song of all time. now that i have a son and this terrible economy, it makes me tear up.

[ranghar]

I got my tickets for the Haggard concert on the 12th...oh yeah!

[phrank06]

whiskey bent and hell bound

[arhuxtable]

I wouldn't exactly classify this as a Christmas song. There is more mention of December than Christmas,despite that being a December holiday.

[aaopie]

@arhuxtable It's a Christmas song.

[arhuxtable]

I suppose you're right. There's only one mention of Christmas and nothing associated with Christmas. Years ago, Engelbert Humperdinck recorded as song called WINTER WORLD OF LOVE and it's not in anyway associated with Christmas,just the cold weather of winter.

[dixieflsts]

The real deal!

[mleen144]

what a really great voice and simple but beautiful song.

[KevinDurandTV]

Ha-ha, I remember hearing this on Legion.

[THEKINGANDME36]

Love Merle , could listen to his voice forever , if god loves music he loves Country for sure

[batterista72]

quanto mi piace la musica COUNTRY

[JMAC100100]

As appropriate theme now as it was then. My all time favorite "Hag" song!

[Tadhg64]

One of the best Christmas songs there is. People who were put of by Okie from Muskogee had to have heard this song and thought, oh yeah, poor small town white folks are just trying to get by like everyone else.

[cutiecasie]

Boy I've gone thur lots of December's. Gosh guess still

[sarasparagon]

This is the only song I ever heard my Daddy sing! He had six girls! I Love you and miss you so much Daddy!!

[bkfilipi]

Great song!!

[reneesluse]

I just luv the sound of the lilt in Merle's voice! If we make through December is the song I hold the closest to my heart. A good many of us have had lean Christmas's with our folks doing the best they could and Mr. Haggard has a knack of creating pictures in your mind- Not just words into lyrics!!

[DaveWollenberg]

Hit #1 country in Billboard. Merle's only top 40 pop hit. Made #28. God bless!

[djaxxx51]

Best country song ever recorded......

[909830]

He said factry. I do believe he meant factory. I jus luv the cuntry folk! LOL Jusa joke I'm from TN, y'all. Thanks Merle for...everything.

[UStonga]

This song got me thru this December!!

love ya Merl

[MrWilliedave]

Hey, adambomb, You atta come down an have a drink with us sometime. We'll dicsuss this song a little more in detail!! Eh!! willie D.

[adambomb312]

If I were a presidential candidate, this would be my campaign song...If we make it through December everything's gonna be alright I know. ..we'll be fine.

[jmodmon]

If you don't like this song.... you don't have a soul.

[SuperOldrocker]

9 months laid-off, this couldn't be any truer than now.

[spiritchannel]

@SuperOldrocker You are going to make it. I see January as a good month for you.

Blessings,

Bob Hickman

Psychic-Medium

[Anaheimfan]

@SuperOldrocker, I got laid off from the plant I work at, goin on the 5 month mark, and I was laid off before Christmas.  This is a song that's "real".

[kenny67able]

I think this song is so true more than anytime this time of year. I think the stations should play it as a theme song this year. The verse where "got laid off down at the factory" wow that just breaks my heart the know how many people have lost there jobs here in the USA. I use to listen to all my daddys records of Merl all the time and as a boy the words never hit you that much but when you grow up and really here the words and get to know the meaning of things its sad and happy. Thanks

[steelerbradd]

Hey Thanks for posting this, I just read up on the Bakersfield sound on wikipedia, very interesting. Love the Hagg.

[Daffyd23]

Merle is the greatest singer-songwriter in Country Music history!

[HerbWalker]

I loved doing this song for all the fine folks in El Paso Tx that came out to see us in all the clubs. Merry Christmas guys! Take care.......Herb

[HerbWalker]

Ive been singing this one in bands since 1983, What a song.

[staceywisk]

god if only this song were true. we made it through december but he took his life in january. This song breaks my heart.

[hushketty]

yep

[macahan42]

merle haggard est simplement un monument de la musique country. merle haggard que j'ai découvert en 1978 dans une mini série que j'adore " colorado" j'ai des albums que j'écoute régulièrement...avec willie nelson " pancho et lefty.

vive merle et vive la country music !!!

[cherrycline]

If we make it through DECEMBER ! ! love this song.

[whoisit441]

Simply a timeless classic by the greatest country artist to ever live - bar none!

[captainsmith1]

I identify with this song because of someone that I love that I still miss so much. December is always so hard as I remember that first wonderful Christmas we shared. I always think, if I can just make it through December, I'll survive. . . and somehow I always do. Thanks, Hag. . .

[meddetect10]

I always think of my Dad. He worked in a factory all day standing on concrete floors with a brace on one leg (broke both legs in WWII.) and he came home and built furniture, raised hogs and sold them, plus always had a very large garden. I've never known a man to work so hard. Every year on my birthday (Christmas Eve) I play this song, and I think of him. He was as dependable as a work day is long and always made holidays so special. I still wish he was here to talk to.

[blinkdead]

@meddetect10 thats very cool :) i took care of my dad with alzhiemers till he passed he was as your dad a rare one .

[tedanzigg]

@meddetect10

Well said my friend, noone can replace my dad either in my heart

[meddetect10]

@tedanzigg Luckily I found a good, dependable, kind hearted husband just like him.  All in all, I'm a very lucky woman.

[kitty54401]

@meddetect10 I'm so sorry about you dad.. Hope you can still smile at his memories. Some people just don't get what it's like to be a hard working blue-collar man(or woman). Somehow.. Listening to this song.. Makes things just a little bit eaiser right now. I pray good health for you and your family. God bless!

[meddetect10]

@kitty54401 Well thank you! Same to you. I just became a grandma for the first time. (And the first girl in four generations of my husband's family!)

[jojosullivan1024]

@meddetect10

Loved what you shared. This song has always reminded me of my wonderful papa & how hard he worked for his family. Again, thanks for this post.

[ugotstyle]

@meddetect10 Awesome story to share about your dad. Sounds like mine. Can't play this song and not think of him. My dad's still around so if you need to borrow him I'm sure he'd understand. :)

[meddetect10]

@ugotstyle Appreciate him all you can while he's here. Nothing on this earth has hurt me in my 50 years like losing mine.

[Rolco64]

@meddetect10 Your Dad was a prime example of a REAL man! Many children are told fantastic stories of Santa Claus, toys magically appearing, etc. December puts unreal strain on parents. This reminds me of my Dad as well. It's a favorite of mine. I've always liked to look at the other side of social situations-often a very different perspective is formed. Merle Haggard is a practitioner of that! I tip my hat to your Dad and wish you and yours a well!

[dbowie007]

@meddetect10 - We need more people like your dad. These lazy no good for nuthin's collecting 2 years of unemployment checks....unAmerican and they should be shipped off somewhere. Bless your dad, and Mighty Merle, and here's to The Workin' Man's Blues!

[Tadhg64]

@meddetect10 I don't know, or care, if that story was true...It was a great thing to read while listening to this wonderful song, and good on you.

[meddetect10]

@Tadhg64 The story is true. I have documentation-military, photos, newspaper articles and family members to back it up.

[mskid68]

@meddetect10 I'm an older guy who has seen these hard times. The description you gave, and the way it was worded, there should be a song written about your daddy. Maybe even by you.......

[meddetect10]

@mskid68 I have written a book, actually. Entitled Fugitive from Injustice. It is being considered by an agent as we speak. Thanks for the suggestion. I just may try my hand at that! Have a great day.

[jupiterrider]

It reminds me of the hard times I am Having now as a Kid because Dady wont buy me Playstation 3...hehe

[jupiterrider]

it's a joke, I'm 34..

[meddetect10]

Why can't you work and buy your own? Burger Sling is always needing somebody.

[jupiterrider]

We don't have BurgerSling here in Athens Greece but thanks!, look I am sorry if I have offended you in any way, I didn't mean to do so, I have respect for anyone who is trying hard to raise a family, my parends did also. I also like Merle a lot. I allways loved AmericanCountryMusic and I believe Merle is one of the Best!. So since Christmas is close, I wish to you and your family, MerryCristmas and a Happy NewYear. Where do you live friend?and what is your Name and Age? Bye for now this is Manos

[meddetect10]

Just kidding with you. We call Burger King-Burger Sling in America. Thank you for your greetings.

I'm Marty and I live in Virginia in the US. Age-well, that's a non-published number. But I've been happily married for 13 years.

[jupiterrider]

Nice to meet you Marty!.

[meddetect10]

Speak to Santy Claus!

[doug47130]

I reminds my of the hard times my family had when I was a kid.

[meddetect10]

My Dad was like this-worked in a factory. But he always came through at Christmas time and it was always good because of him. He's been gone 23 years and I still miss him this time of year.

[pipetowers]

Beatiful song!!

[NevadaBoss]

10K "American Idols" dont equal one of this genuine American Idol.

A national treasure.

...and he DID make it through last December. And that's the best xmas present of all.

Long may u run Hag!

[doug47130]

Very well put!!!

[Alan62651]

Lots of arrangements of this song, but this simple one with just a classical guitar and simple backup is the best. I can listen to this over and over again.

[Chadsdad12]

I think every December we all at one time or another related to this song, Thank You for posting One of the greatest hits of Merles

[calerouan]

thanx for posting.......