Hey, you ever hear a song that just grabs you by the heart and won’t let go? That’s what this one’s like. I wrote “Sing Me Back Home (Nashville ’17)” after that unforgettable night in 2017 when Nashville turned into one big love letter to Merle Haggard. Picture this: Bridgestone Arena, April 6th, packed with 18,000 folks, all there to honor the Hag on what would’ve been his 80th birthday. It was a year to the day since he left us, and you could feel him in the air—like he was leaning against the stage, grinning that sly grin of his.
This song’s not just notes and chords; it’s a memory stitched together from that night. I wanted it to sound like Merle’s voice—rough around the edges, but soft where it counts. The kind of tune you’d hear drifting from an old jukebox in a dive bar, or maybe sung quiet by a campfire. It’s got a lonesome steel guitar that cries just like he did in “Mama Tried,” and a rhythm that stomps along like “Okie from Muskogee”—because that’s Merle, right? He could break your heart and make you laugh in the same damn breath.
The words came from watching legends like Willie Nelson and Keith Richards up there, pouring their souls into his songs. Willie’s weathered voice blending with Keith’s ragged growl on “Reasons to Quit”—man, it was like they were trading stories with Merle through the music. And then there’s Miranda Lambert, singing “Misery and Gin” so raw you’d swear she lived every line. I wanted this song to carry that weight—the way Merle’s music always did, speaking for the outlaws, the dreamers, the ones who’ve been knocked down but keep getting up.
It’s got a chorus that swells like the crowd did that night, when everyone—legends and fans alike—belted out “Okie from Muskogee” together. I can still hear it, you know? Thousands of voices, one big, messy family, singing for a man who gave us songs that felt like home. That’s what I’m chasing here: a melody that wraps around you like an old denim jacket, warm and worn-in, with a story in every frayed thread. So when you hear it, maybe you’ll feel that Nashville night too—the love, the loss, and the way Merle’s still singing through us all. What do you think—does it take you back somewhere?
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