Mama Tried
Written & performed by Merle Haggard
c 1968 Tree Publishing Co., Inc.

[Intro]


[Verse 1]
              
The first thin

            
g I remember k

             
nowin' was a l

              
onesome whistl

  
e blowin',
             
And a youngun'

             
s dream of gro

           
win' up to rid

e,
             
On a freight t

             
rain leavin' t

             
own, not knowi

             
n' where I'm b

ound.
             
And no one cou

             
ld change my m

            
ind but Mama t

ried.

[Verse 2]
             
One and only r

             
ebel child fro

             
m a fam'ly mee

      
k and mild
             
My mama seemed

             
 to know what 

       
lay in store,
             
'Spite all my 

             
Sunday learnin

              
' towards the 

             
bad I kept on 


turnin',
             
'Til mama coul

            
dn't hold me a

  
nymore.

[Chorus]
             
And I turned t

              
wenty-one in p

             
rison doin' li

              
fe without par


ole,
            
No one could s

              
teer me right 

         
but Mama tried

, Mama tried
             
Mama tried to 

              
raise me bette

             
r but her plea

         
ding I denied
              
And that leave

             
s only me to b

            
lame, cause Ma

   
ma tried

[Solo]
      
    

[Verse 3]
             
Dear ole' dadd

             
y, rest his so

             
ul, left my mo

          
m a heavy load

,
             
She tried so v

             
ery hard to fi

       
ll his shoes,
             
Workin' hours 

             
without rest, 

             
wanted me to h

        
ave the best
             
She tried to r

            
aise me right 

         
but I refused.

[Chorus]
             
And I turned t

              
wenty-one in p

             
rison doin' li

              
fe without par


ole,
            
No one could s

              
teer me right 

         
but Mama tried

, Mama tried
             
Mama tried to 

              
raise me bette

             
r but her plea

         
ding I denied
              
And that leave

             
s only me to b

            
lame, cause Ma

   
ma tried