About The Song
In 1969 Merle Haggard released the album *A Portrait of Merle Haggard* and included one of his most direct statements of self-acceptance. “I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am,” written entirely by Haggard, is a spare, confident declaration that refuses to apologize for the life he had lived. The song arrived at a pivotal moment in his career, shortly after the massive success of “Okie from Muskogee,” and it offered listeners a clear window into the values that would define much of his work for decades to come.
The lyrics are straightforward and unadorned. Haggard sings of being proud of who he is — a man with a past that includes prison time, hard work, and the kind of experiences that don’t always fit neatly into polite conversation. There’s no grand defense or dramatic justification, just a calm insistence that his identity, with all its rough edges, is something worth claiming. The arrangement keeps things simple, letting the words and Haggard’s steady, authoritative voice carry the emotional weight.
By the late 1960s Haggard had already transformed his own turbulent early life into a body of work that resonated far beyond traditional country audiences. He had survived San Quentin, worked his way through a series of blue-collar jobs, and was building a career that blended Bakersfield grit with deeply personal storytelling. “I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am” felt like both a personal credo and a broader statement about the dignity of ordinary lives. It pushed back against any notion that success required erasing where you came from or softening the rough parts of your story.
The song also reflected Haggard’s growing comfort with speaking directly to his audience about the things that mattered to him. While he would later deliver cultural anthems and more introspective material, this early track established a template for the kind of plainspoken honesty that would become his trademark. It didn’t ask listeners to agree with every choice he had made. It simply invited them to respect the man who had made them and kept moving forward.
What has kept the song enduring is how universally it speaks to anyone who has ever felt the need to defend or downplay their background. Haggard’s pride wasn’t rooted in perfection or conventional success. It came from surviving, from staying true to his roots, and from refusing to let the judgments of others define his worth. That message has resonated across generations of listeners who value authenticity over polish.
Decades later “I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am” remains one of the most quietly powerful entries in Haggard’s vast catalog. It doesn’t demand attention the way some of his anthems do, but it rewards repeated listening with its steady wisdom and its clear-eyed refusal to apologize for who he was. In a career built on telling the truth about working-class lives, this track stands as a powerful reminder that sometimes the most radical act is simply standing tall in the story you’ve lived.
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Lyric
Things I learned in a hobo jungle
Were things they never taught me in a classroom
Like where to find a handout
While bumpin’ through Chicago in the afternoon
Hey, I’m not braggin’ or complainin’
Just talkin’ to myself man to man
This whole metal fat I’m chewin’ didn’t take a lot of doin’
But I take a lot of pride in what I am
I guess I grew up a loner
I don’t remember ever havin’ any folks around
I keep thumbin’ through the phone books
And lookin’ for my daddy’s name in every town
I made lots of friendly people
But I always end up leavin’ on the lam
Aye, where I’ve been or where I’m goin’ didn’t take a lot of knowin’
But I’ll take a lot of pride in what I am
I never travel in a hurry
‘Cause I got nobody waitin’ for me anywhere
Home is anywhere I’m livin’
If it’s sleepin’ on some vacant bench in City Square
Or if I’m workin’ on some road gang
Or just livin’ off the fat of our great land
I never being nobody’s idol but at least I got a title
I take a lot of pride in what I am
I never being nobody’s idol but at least I got a title
And I take a lot of pride in what I am
I take a lot of pride in what I am
I take a lot of pride in what I am