Haggard and the Queen

©Andy May (Swift River Music/BMI)

Behind the Song

Andy: This song is a short chapter, dedicated to my late friend and band-mate, Tabby Crabb, in my book of true road stories. Tabby and I opened for Merle Haggard and The Strangers – with Leona Williams and Bonnie Owens – in 1978. About that time, we also played a private event held for Kitty Wells, “The Queen of Country Music,” and her husband, Johnnie Wright. I am glad to have been a little part of all of that!

(Learn more about the Andy May-Texas Tabby Crabb Band.)

Listen

Haggard and the Queen
© Andy May (Swift River Music/BMI)

There are so many choices
People have today
What to pay attention to-
How to spend their pay
But sometimes I remember back
To a very different scene
When we opened up for Haggard
And we played for the queen

Chorus:

We opened up for Haggard
And played for the queen
The Queen of Country Music-
Miss Kitty Wells, I mean
We were singin’ hungry
‘Cause we were mighty lean
When we opened up for Haggard
And played for the queen

We were two young broke musicians
Pushed right to the brink
If something didn’t happen soon
Either one would sink
So we put our heads together
And we came up with a plan
We started us a duo
And we soon became a band

We filled those old roadhouses
We took it pretty far-
A regional phenomenon
And we were local stars
Sometimes the road was kind to us
And sometimes it got mean
But we opened up for Haggard
And we played for the queen

Chorus

Now, when I think about it
I just have to grin
If I had it to do over
Heck, I’d do it all again
To be a little part of something good
Well, I know what that means
‘Cause we opened up for Haggard
And we played for the queen

Chorus

Tag:

We were singin’ hungry
‘Cause we were mighty lean
When we opened up for Haggard
And played for the queen

Discography

• Track 4 on Room for Roots, SRM CD-118