Okie from Muskogee (Live in Philadelphia 2/14/1970) - Merle Haggard & The Strangers

Carolyn, let me tell you what I heard about a man today He didn't come home from work and he went away Till he came to a city, bright in the night time like day There they say he met up with some women dressed in yellow and scarlet Their warm lips like a honeycomb, dripped with honey And something about the smell of strange perfume Made him feel warm and not alone Yes Carolyn, a man will do that sometimes on his own And sometimes when he's lonely I believe a man might do that sometimes out of spite But Carolyn, a man will do that always When he's treated bad at home Yes Carolyn, a man will do that sometimes on his own And sometimes when he's lonely And I believe a man might do that sometimes out of spite But Carolyn, a man will do that always When he's treated bad at home

I hear people talkin' bad about the way we have to live here in this country Harpin' on the wars we fight, an' gripin' 'bout the way things oughta be An' I don't mind 'em switchin' sides, an' standin' up for things they believe in When they're runnin' down my country, man They're walkin' on the fightin' side of me Yeah, walkin' on the fightin' side of me Runnin' down a way of life our fightin' men have fought and died to keep If you don't love it, leave it Let this song I'm singin' be a warnin' When you're runnin' down my country, man You're walkin' on the fightin' side of me I read about some squirrely guy who claims he just don't believe in fightin' An' I wonder just how long the rest of us can count on bein' free They love our milk an' honey, but they preach about some other way of livin' When they're runnin' down my country, hoss They're walkin' on the fightin' side of me Yeah, walkin' on the fightin' side of me Runnin' down a way of life our fightin' men have fought and died to keep If you don't love it, leave it Let this song I'm singin' be a warnin' When you're runnin' down my country, man You're walkin' on the fightin' side of me Yeah, walkin' on the fightin' side of me Runnin' down a way of life our fightin' men have fought and died to keep If you don't love it, leave it Let this song I'm singin' be a warnin' When you're runnin' down my country, man You're walkin' on the fightin' side of me