Merle Haggard was in his early twenties, serving a possible 20 years in San Quentin Prison, where guards found him, he drank his beer, after he fell to the toilet. "They put handcuffs on my ass and took me to where they are men of gas," he said.This is one of many stories in heartbreaking Merle Haggard: Learn to live with himself, a new PBS documentary about the country legend. The film includes an interview with Keith Richards, Kris Kristofferson, John Fogerty and Robert Duvall and analyzes the difficulties Haggard Bakersfield, California upbringing.
He lost his father in the age of nine years, spent his youth break out of youth facilities, and then wrote 38 Number One country classics."This is how this guy tries to take himself and deal with everything that happened to him in his life when he was young," says director Gandulf Hennig, who also directed the 2004 Gram Parsons: Fallen Angel (Learning to Live With Myself Today debuts at 9 pm on PBS as part of the American Masters series).
Hennig after Haggard on the road within three years, as well as to complete the document, with fascinating archival material from the first performances of Haggard in the sixties. Rolling Stone spoke with Haggard about the documentary, his new album with Willie Nelson, and why he wants to retire.
Rolling Stone profiled you well in the past year, and now you are the subject of a documentary about your life. What it was like to discuss your past, outside of your songs?
Well, I was very impressed with everything I experienced, in fact. You know, this may help someone in some way. It is the source of my songs, and he should talk about it. That's how I approach it. I received more gentle, easier with age. My emotions are caused more easily than they were before. I'm not as tough as I used to.
You are a private person - you do not see the camera? I'm an old musician. I've been around a lot of cameras. I thought that's their business. My job is in another. I am not ashamed of the camera. I do not pay any attention to them. I have something to do. I've seen people get angry at people in the cell tabloids and all that. I do not understand. This is not an operator, it is they. They do not understand.
In the film, you go back to the car, where you lived when you lost a father when you were 9. It was hard to go back there to return?
Yes, it's always difficult to do. I go there several times, and he is in poor condition. Not just a place where I live, but the entire city. Total region need to bulldoze over, fixed up and sold. He's gone. What I experienced there, there is no resemblance. It was neat, clean. Even though it was oil, the oil companies cared more about him. It was a community, I think everything would have been proud to have lived, Well, now it looks like we are trying to copy the Los Angeles. You know what I mean.
In addition, in the south, then go, and it Walmart, Cracker Barrel and Waffle House in every town.
Yes. This is not really that - a lack of pride in the yard. Backyard is a disaster. Here's how it is at the Boxcar. My mother would have vomited. She would not let me. It was Boxcar, but it was really clean. You do not have to watch to see that it was clean. Now, this is what it is. And it's terrible. And it is near a whole bunch of other ones like it. If you're up above in the helicopter as far as you can see it would be the same thing. I am happy time for me to retire or ... I can not whip your ass for no one. I'm too old for this man. It makes me want yank someone and say: "Why do not you clean up you bastard?" Have you no pride? "Why do not you brush your teeth?
