Merle Haggard

Yeah, sure did.

Yeah, sure did.

Yeah, sure did.

Well, I lived in an oil community called Oildale, and there was a daily train that went into the oil fields, and it was a steam train back in those days, and I actually grew up every evening, you know, kind of looking forward to seeing that old train pull out of there with about 40 or 50 oil tankers back during the war, you know, and...

Well, I lived in an oil community called Oildale, and there was a daily train that went into the oil fields, and it was a steam train back in those days, and I actually grew up every evening, you know, kind of looking forward to seeing that old train pull out of there with about 40 or 50 oil tankers back during the war, you know, and...

Well, I lived in an oil community called Oildale, and there was a daily train that went into the oil fields, and it was a steam train back in those days, and I actually grew up every evening, you know, kind of looking forward to seeing that old train pull out of there with about 40 or 50 oil tankers back during the war, you know, and...

So it was less than a stone's, well, maybe 150 feet from my back door to where the railroad track ran. And I actually grew up right next to it. My dad worked for the Santa Fe Railroad. I was nine when he passed away. Railroads were very influential in my life, and there was enough of it in the songs that I admired to get me on the freight myself. I thought, well, this is something I've got to do.

So it was less than a stone's, well, maybe 150 feet from my back door to where the railroad track ran. And I actually grew up right next to it. My dad worked for the Santa Fe Railroad. I was nine when he passed away. Railroads were very influential in my life, and there was enough of it in the songs that I admired to get me on the freight myself. I thought, well, this is something I've got to do.

So it was less than a stone's, well, maybe 150 feet from my back door to where the railroad track ran. And I actually grew up right next to it. My dad worked for the Santa Fe Railroad. I was nine when he passed away. Railroads were very influential in my life, and there was enough of it in the songs that I admired to get me on the freight myself. I thought, well, this is something I've got to do.

If they're going to write songs about it, I've got to go see why. So I did, and I rode freights wherever they took me. I rode them for a block, or I'd ride them... 200 miles, or I think the longest trip I ever took was from San Antonio to El Paso, I think was the longest one.

If they're going to write songs about it, I've got to go see why. So I did, and I rode freights wherever they took me. I rode them for a block, or I'd ride them... 200 miles, or I think the longest trip I ever took was from San Antonio to El Paso, I think was the longest one.

If they're going to write songs about it, I've got to go see why. So I did, and I rode freights wherever they took me. I rode them for a block, or I'd ride them... 200 miles, or I think the longest trip I ever took was from San Antonio to El Paso, I think was the longest one.

No, I learned that probably, I think probably the first time I ever jumped on that old oil tanker was probably, I was about five years old. My mother would have died if she had known I'd been up there We used to put pennies on the track, you know, and we'd hop that old train, ride a block or two, and jump off. So it was something we learned to do young.

No, I learned that probably, I think probably the first time I ever jumped on that old oil tanker was probably, I was about five years old. My mother would have died if she had known I'd been up there We used to put pennies on the track, you know, and we'd hop that old train, ride a block or two, and jump off. So it was something we learned to do young.

No, I learned that probably, I think probably the first time I ever jumped on that old oil tanker was probably, I was about five years old. My mother would have died if she had known I'd been up there We used to put pennies on the track, you know, and we'd hop that old train, ride a block or two, and jump off. So it was something we learned to do young.

We'd watch the brakemen and the trainmen do it. You know, it wasn't really all that hard.

We'd watch the brakemen and the trainmen do it. You know, it wasn't really all that hard.

We'd watch the brakemen and the trainmen do it. You know, it wasn't really all that hard.

The worst? Oh, man. There was a lot of bad experiences. I got on a freight in Oregon one time, and it was leaving out of Eugene, and it went up into the Cascades and into a snowstorm, and I was traveling in the ice compartment, and me and two other oboes was in there, and it got rather cold in that metal.

The worst? Oh, man. There was a lot of bad experiences. I got on a freight in Oregon one time, and it was leaving out of Eugene, and it went up into the Cascades and into a snowstorm, and I was traveling in the ice compartment, and me and two other oboes was in there, and it got rather cold in that metal.