The Fightin' Side of Me
Encyclopedia
"The Fightin' Side of Me" is an American country music
song performed by its writer, Merle Haggard
. Released in 1970 as the follow-up to "Okie from Muskogee
", the song became one of the most famous of his career.
In reference to his own 2002 patriot song, Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American), Toby Keith once called this song "the original Angry American song."
)."
Here, the singer fills the role of a man frustrated with people deriding the country, particularly those who are "harpin' on the wars we fight" and "runnin' down my countrymen," perhaps a reference to the then-ongoing Vietnam War
. People who do this, claims the singer, are "walkin' on the fightin' side of me" and warns them that "if you don't love it, leave it."
Session personnel included Roy Nichols
and Tommy Collins on guitar, bassist Chuck Berghofer and drummer Sam Goldstein.
chart, where it remained for three weeks. It also charted in the lower regions of the Billboard Hot 100
chart.
In addition to the studio version of the song, a live version of "The Fightin' Side of Me" was issued as part of Haggard's live album of the same name.
. The song did not win either award, with it losing the Single award to "Okie from Muskogee."
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
song performed by its writer, Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
. Released in 1970 as the follow-up to "Okie from Muskogee
Okie from Muskogee (song)
"Okie from Muskogee" is an American country music song performed by its co-writer, Merle Haggard. Released in September 1969, the song became one of the most famous of his career.-Background:...
", the song became one of the most famous of his career.
In reference to his own 2002 patriot song, Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American), Toby Keith once called this song "the original Angry American song."
Song background
Like "Okie from Muskogee," "The Fightin' Side of Me" cashed in on the working-man's conservative values and politics; Bill Janovitz of Allmusic called the song "patriotic (if not outrightly jingoisticJingoism
Jingoism is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as extreme patriotism in the form of aggressive foreign policy. In practice, it is a country's advocation of the use of threats or actual force against other countries in order to safeguard what it perceives as its national interests...
)."
Here, the singer fills the role of a man frustrated with people deriding the country, particularly those who are "harpin' on the wars we fight" and "runnin' down my countrymen," perhaps a reference to the then-ongoing Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. People who do this, claims the singer, are "walkin' on the fightin' side of me" and warns them that "if you don't love it, leave it."
Session personnel included Roy Nichols
Roy Nichols
Roy Nichols was an American country music guitarist best known as the lead guitarist for Merle Haggard for more than two decades. He was known for his guitar technique, a mix of fingerpicking and pedal steel-like bends, usually played on a Telecaster.-Biography:Roy Ernest Nichols was born in...
and Tommy Collins on guitar, bassist Chuck Berghofer and drummer Sam Goldstein.
Chart performance and popularity
Like its predecessor "Okie from Muskogee," "The Fightin' Side of Me" immediately broke in popularity when released in January 1970. The song eventually reached No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country SinglesHot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart, where it remained for three weeks. It also charted in the lower regions of the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart.
In addition to the studio version of the song, a live version of "The Fightin' Side of Me" was issued as part of Haggard's live album of the same name.
| Chart (1970) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 92 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
Awards
In 1970, "The Fightin' Side of Me" was nominated for Song of the Year and Single of the Year by the Country Music AssociationCountry Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
. The song did not win either award, with it losing the Single award to "Okie from Muskogee."
See also
- Whitburn, Joel, "Top Country Songs: 1944-2005," 2006.