The Truth You Left Us — A Tribute to Merle Haggard

Original classic country tribute with North Georgia Holler country-soul signature, easy rolling 4/4 94 BPM, Bubba Patrick warm mature natural male baritone, Darlene unmistakably female alto in close thirds/sixths on choruses and final verse, both equally audible, Own original melody and lyrics, no impersonation or borrowed song hooks, Acoustic guitar, prominent honky-tonk piano, slap upright bass, tasteful pedal steel, fiddle, octave harmonica, restrained banjo, brushed snare building to full country drums, soulful tenor sax brief answer, Hammond B3 final chorus, Heartbeat instrumental E7-G6-A7-B7 then D7 pivot G, Verses G6-Em7-Cadd9-D7; chorus G-C-G-D7-Em7-Cadd9-D7-G6; bridge Lantern Turn G6|Bbmaj7|Cadd9|Cm6|G/D|E7|A7-D7|G6, Final piano Skylight Cmaj9(#11)/G resolves G6 with high F# to G, Respectful warm tribute to honest country storytelling and working people's dignity, joyful live band, clear diction, natural ending

[Verse 1: Bubba]
Some folks write about the mountain
From a window miles away;
You could put us on the shoulder
Where the gravel meets the clay.
Let a tired man keep his dignity,
Let a wrong turn leave a mark;
Never had to paint the daylight
To admit there'd been some dark.

[Chorus: Bubba and clearly female Darlene, close harmony]
Here's to the truth you left us,
Here's to the weight of a line;
To the folks who work through a hard week
And the ones still doing their time.
We'll bring a little Georgia
To the road your stories made;
Merle, we're singing our own song,
With a thank-you in the way it's played.

[Piano turnaround; steel and harmonica answer]
[Verse 2: Bubba]
There's a woman locking up the diner,
There's a driver headed east;
There's a man who needs a second chance
And a quiet hour of peace.
You could make a room grow quiet
When the band had settled down;
Let a life stand in the middle
Without dressing up its sound.

[Chorus: full male-female duet]
Here's to the truth you left us,
Here's to the weight of a line;
To the folks who work through a hard week
And the ones still doing their time.
We'll bring a little Georgia
To the road your stories made;
Merle, we're singing our own song,
With a thank-you in the way it's played.

[Instrumental: E7-G6-A7-B7 Holler Heartbeat; piano and harmonica call E-G-A-B, sax answers B-A-G-E; D7 pivot G]
[Bridge: tender duet, Lantern Turn progression]
We can't borrow anybody's footsteps,
Every pair of boots must fit;
But we can learn to tell it plainly,
Keep the heart of it.
Leave a little room for mercy,
Leave the rough grain in the wood;
Let a song admit the trouble
And still look around for good.

[Verse 3: both together in close harmony]
So tonight here in the Holler,
There's a chair beside the band;
Not to claim we knew your journey,
But to say we understand
How a voice can give a stranger
Words he couldn't find alone;
We'll keep listening to the people
And put the lives we know in song.

[Final chorus: duet and restrained gospel harmonies, full band]
Here's to the truth you left us,
Here's to the weight of a line;
To the folks who work through a hard week
And the ones still doing their time.
We'll bring a little Georgia
To the road your stories made;
Merle, we're singing our own song,
With a thank-you in the way it's played.

[Outro: piano, acoustic, soft steel]
[Duet]
Let the story have its rough edges,
Let the heart come shining through.
From our porch across the mountains,
Merle, this one's for you.
[Skylight piano chord Cmaj9(#11)/G, top F# resolves G, warm final G6 and dry banjo pluck; natural ending]

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[Intro: honky-tonk piano, acoustic guitar, slap bass; fiddle answers] [Spoken Bubba, warm natural male] This one's for Merle Haggard. From Bubba Patrick, Darlene, and the Holler Shakers. Thank you for leaving room for the truth. [Verse 1: Bubba] Some folks write about the mountain From a window miles away; You could put us on the shoulder Where the gravel meets the clay. Let a tired man keep his dignity, Let a wrong turn leave a mark; Never had to paint the daylight To admit there'd been some dark. [Chorus: Bubba and clearly female Darlene, close harmony] Here's to the truth you left us, Here's to the weight of a line; To the folks who work through a hard week And the ones still doing their time. We'll bring a little Georgia To the road your stories made; Merle, we're singing our own song, With a thank-you in the way it's played. [Piano turnaround; steel and harmonica answer] [Verse 2: Bubba] There's a woman locking up the diner, There's a driver headed east; There's a man who needs a second chance And a quiet hour of peace. You could make a room grow quiet When the band had settled down; Let a life stand in the middle Without dressing up its sound. [Chorus: full male-female duet] Here's to the truth you left us, Here's to the weight of a line; To the folks who work through a hard week And the ones still doing their time. We'll bring a little Georgia To the road your stories made; Merle, we're singing our own song, With a thank-you in the way it's played. [Instrumental: E7-G6-A7-B7 Holler Heartbeat; piano and harmonica call E-G-A-B, sax answers B-A-G-E; D7 pivot G] [Bridge: tender duet, Lantern Turn progression] We can't borrow anybody's footsteps, Every pair of boots must fit; But we can learn to tell it plainly, Keep the heart of it. Leave a little room for mercy, Leave the rough grain in the wood; Let a song admit the trouble And still look around for good. [Verse 3: both together in close harmony] So tonight here in the Holler, There's a chair beside the band; Not to claim we knew your journey, But to say we understand How a voice can give a stranger Words he couldn't find alone; We'll keep listening to the people And put the lives we know in song. [Final chorus: duet and restrained gospel harmonies, full band] Here's to the truth you left us, Here's to the weight of a line; To the folks who work through a hard week And the ones still doing their time. We'll bring a little Georgia To the road your stories made; Merle, we're singing our own song, With a thank-you in the way it's played. [Outro: piano, acoustic, soft steel] [Duet] Let the story have its rough edges, Let the heart come shining through. From our porch across the mountains, Merle, this one's for you. [Skylight piano chord Cmaj9(#11)/G, top F# resolves G, warm final G6 and dry banjo pluck; natural ending]

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