The Fightin' Side of Me is an album by Merle Haggard and the Strangers, released in 1970. Like the song "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:...

" led to a quickly released album, The Fightin' Side of Me was also quickly released because of the run of success of Haggard's patriotic hit single "The Fightin' Side of Me".

The Fightin' Side of Me was recorded live in Philadelphia

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...

, on Valentine's Day 1970. The show also included Kitty Wells

Kitty Wells

Ellen Muriel Deason , known professionally as Kitty Wells, is an American country music singer. Her 1952 hit recording, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts, and turned her into the first female country star...

, Hank Snow

Hank Snow

Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow was a Canadian-American country music artist. He charted more than 70 singles on the Billboard country charts from 1950 until 1980...

, and Tommy Collins

Tommy Collins (country music)

Leonard Raymond Sipes , better known as Tommy Collins, was an American country music singer and songwriter....

 although they are not included on this recording. Merle does a medley of convincing impersonations including Marty Robbins

Marty Robbins

Martin David Robinson , known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist...

, Hank Snow, Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash

John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...

, and Buck Owens

Buck Owens

Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr. , better known as Buck Owens, was an American singer and guitarist who had 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country music charts with his band, the Buckaroos...

.

Track listing

All songs written by Merle Haggard unless otherwise noted.

1. "Introduction by Carlton Haney" – 1:15
2. "I Take a lot of Pride in what I Am" – 1:52
3. "Corrine, Corrina" (J. Williams, Bo Chatmon
   Bo Carter
   Armenter "Bo Carter" Chatmon was an American early blues musician. He was a member of the Mississippi Sheiks in concerts, and on a few of their recordings...
   
   ) – 2:24
4. "Every Fool Has a Rainbow" – 2:29
5. "T. B. Blues" (Jimmie Rodgers
   Jimmie Rodgers (country singer)
   James Charles Rodgers , known as Jimmie Rodgers, was an American country singer in the early 20th century known most widely for his rhythmic yodeling...
   
   ) – 2:12
6. "When Did Right Become Wrong" (Tommy Collins
   Tommy Collins (country music)
   Leonard Raymond Sipes , better known as Tommy Collins, was an American country music singer and songwriter....
   
   ) – 2:44
7. "Philadelphia Lawyer" (Woody Guthrie
   Woody Guthrie
   Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
   
   ) – 2:55
8. "Stealin' Corn" (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...
   
   , Norm Hamlet
   Norm Hamlet
   Norm Hamlet is an American steel guitarist best known as a member of Merle Haggard's Stranger's group. In 2005 Hamlet had quadruple heart bypass surgery and recovered well at his home in Bakersfield, California. In April 2006 while on tour with Merle Haggard Hamlet's Dobro was stolen and a reward...
   
   ) – 1:28
9. "Harold's Super Service" (B. Wayne) – 2:05
10. "Medley of Impersonations: Devil Woman
    Devil Woman (Marty Robbins song)
    Devil Woman is a 1962 country single written and performed by Marty Robbins. "Devil Woman" became Marty Robbins' seventh single to reach number one on the country chart, spending eight weeks at the top spot. "Devil Woman" also crossed over onto the pop chart, peaking at number sixteen...
    
    , I'm Movin' On, Folsom Prison Blues
    Folsom Prison Blues
    "Folsom Prison Blues" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music artist Johnny Cash. The song combines elements from two popular folk genres, the train song and the prison song, both of which Cash would continue to use for the rest of his career...
    
    , Jackson
    Jackson (song)
    "Jackson" is a song, written in 1963 by Jerry Leiber and Billy Edd Wheeler, about a married couple who find that the "fire" has gone out of their relationship...
    
    , Orange Blossom Special
    Orange Blossom Special (song)
    The fiddle tune "Orange Blossom Special", about the passenger train of the same name, was written by Ervin T. Rouse in 1938. The original recording was created by Ervin and Gordon Rouse in 1939. It is considered the best known fiddle tune of the twentieth century and is often called simply The...
    
    , Love's Gonna Live Here
    Love's Gonna Live Here
    "Love's Gonna Live Here" is a 1963 single by Buck Owens, who also wrote the song. The single would be Buck Owens' second number one on the country charts spending sixteen weeks at the top spot and a total of thirty weeks on the chart.-Chart performance:...
    
    " – 5:02
11. "Today I Started Loving You Again" – 2:00
12. "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:...
    
    " (Merle Haggard, Eddie Burris) – 2:48
13. "The Fightin' Side of Me
    The Fightin' Side of Me
    "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....
    
    " – 2:45

Personnel

• Merle Haggard – vocals, guitar
• 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...
  
   – lead guitar
• Bobby Wayne - rhythm guitar, harmony vocals
• Norman Hamlet
  Norm Hamlet
  Norm Hamlet is an American steel guitarist best known as a member of Merle Haggard's Stranger's group. In 2005 Hamlet had quadruple heart bypass surgery and recovered well at his home in Bakersfield, California. In April 2006 while on tour with Merle Haggard Hamlet's Dobro was stolen and a reward...
  
   – pedal steel guitar, dobro
• Dennis Hromek – bass, background vocals
• Biff Adam – drums
• Bonnie Owens
  Bonnie Owens
  Bonnie Owens , born Bonnie Campbell, was an American country music singer who was married to Buck Owens and later Merle Haggard.-Biography:...
  
  – background vocals
• Chubby Wise - fiddle

Chart positions

Year	Chart	Position
1970	Billboard Country albums	1