Mama Tried - Merle Haggard

Lately, I've been interested in taking old archived footage (public domain) and making it into something completely new. In the case of "Subject:Narcotics" (1951), I decided to tell a story by editing the footage and putting it to Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried."

If you like this song, download it by clicking the link provided under the video.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Merle
• Haggard
• subject
• narcotics
• old
• footage
• video
• public
• domain
• archive.org
• movie
• service
• announcement
• fifties
• 60s
• sixties
• 50s
• drugs
• weed
• the
• strangers
• marijuana
• cocaine
• heroine
• country
• outlaw
• criminal
• vocal
• original
• recording

[MichaelDominici]

You are also clueless and disingenuous. The song isn't even necessarily about drugs, per se. However, clearly your video is ONLY about drugs which makes you a propagandist. You are not 'interpreting' a song that is clearly written. You are interjecting your own dogma and bullshit into the equation and hence, ruining the nuance and subtlety of Merle Haggard's powerful music. It's about a man's relationship with his mother and the dread and agony of the despair in his life caused by straying!

[rickyperson]

@MichaelDominici

Okay, seriously dude, you do too much. I found some cool archive footage online that is available for public use and I thought it would go great with this song, because I like it. Also, it's funny that you call me of all people an evangelist - LOL - really...

So what you said is what the song is REALLY about - COOL! Nonetheless, if you were a true artist, you'd understand that all art, including music and poetry, is up for interpretation. This is mine.

[MichaelDominici]

Rickyperson, you've turned the visual poetry of Merle Haggard's brilliant and optimistic story arc into cheap propaganda. Merle is an artist, not an evangelist and you are a rank amateur.

[rickyperson]

@MichaelDominici

And let me just respond to the word "propaganda" you enjoy throwing around so freely. The original footage here can easily be considered propaganda as it was from a 1950s educational movie about drugs, etc. The footage is classic and really interesting, especially if you watch the original. What I created was a re-edit of that to tell a story of a single character and I put that to this song.

Like I said, this is only my interpretation. Take it or leave it.

[MichaelDominici]

You've turned art and poetry into pure shit and propaganda. Congratulations, asshole.

[rickyperson]

@MichaelDominici, I'm not sure how I did that... I put some old footage to a song I liked and told a story I derived from the song. I'm not sure where the propaganda is... doesn't propaganda have a forceful message? I don't see what this says other than showing my own version. You're the asshole.

[seanp2500]

Hey dude cool upload screw the hater this is the version of the song i like not the live ones and the video too it was interesting though this song will always remind me if serial killers after the strangers and not drugs

[studiobuddy]

@MichaelDominici haha fag lol

[VAhillbilly1]

Just to let everyone know ole Mr. Haggard told an interviewer at rolling stone that (he loved to go down to his favorite fishing hole with his pipe and smoke a lil weed nowadays) so the video can be validated.....p.s. this is the waylon version

[MichaelDominici]

rickyperson, that's where you missed the mark. in your delusional state you mistakenly thought you were 'adding' something but, what you are doing here is so far afield from the subtle message of the song that it almost ruins it. you turn merle's cautionary tale into a sledgehammer in the most obnoxious, artless way imaginable. you NEED to be told this, because you are obviously too arrogant to accept that you've denigrated a classic piece of american songwriting into an anti-drug commercial.

[caboom131]

Lol howdoes this song make a movie scary ?