Merle Haggard – Sing Me Back Home
“Sing Me Back Home” is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Merle Haggard and The Strangers. It was released in November 1967 as the first single and title track from the album Sing Me Back Home. The song was Merle Haggard and The Strangers third number one. The single spent two weeks at number one and a total of 17 weeks on the country chart. In 2019, Rolling Stone ranked “Sing Me Back Home” No. 32 on its list of the 40 Saddest Country Songs of All Time.
Background and composition
“Sing Me Back Home” was among several notable Haggard songs that touched on a common theme of his 1960s and early 1970s recordings—prison. Haggard himself spent three years at San Quentin State Prison in California for his role in a botched robbery. “Sing Me Back Home” draws upon Haggard’s relationships with two fellow inmates: Caryl Chessman, the “first modern American executed for a non-lethal kidnapping”; and James “Rabbit” Kendrick, who was executed in 1961 for killing a California Highway Patrolman after escaping from prison.
Recording and production
“Sing Me Back Home” was recorded at the Tallywood Recording Studio in Los Angeles, California, in September 1967. The song was produced by Ken Nelson.
The recording features Haggard’s characteristically plaintive vocals and the simple, yet effective, accompaniment of The Strangers. The song’s lyrics are full of vivid imagery and detail, and they paint a powerful picture of the pain and loneliness of life in prison.
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“Sing Me Back Home” is a beautiful and moving song that will be cherished for generations to come.
Here are some additional details about the song:
- The song was written and recorded by Merle Haggard and The Strangers.
- It was released in November 1967 as the first single and title track from the album Sing Me Back Home.
- The song spent two weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.
- “Sing Me Back Home” has been covered by many artists, including Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and George Strait.