Merle Haggard - I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am

 "I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am" peaked at number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. It reached number-one on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks in January 1969.

"I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am" is a song written and performed by American country music artist Merle Haggard and The Strangers. It was released in October 1968 as the only single from his album Pride in What I Am. "I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am" peaked at number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. It reached number-one on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks in January 1969. The song was covered by Dean Martin and released as a single in mid-1969. A tape recorder version of this song was played at the funeral of late Lynyrd Skynyrd vocalist, Ronnie Van Zant.

Merle Haggard - I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am lyrics

Things I learned in a hobo jungle

Were things they never taught me in a class room

Like where to find a hand out

While bummin' through Chicago in the afternoon

Hey, I'm not braggin' or complainin'

I'm just talkin' to myself man-to-man

This ol' mental fat I'm chewin' didn't take a lotta 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

But I keep thumbin' through the phonebooks

And looking for my daddy's name in every town

And I meet lots of friendly people

But I'll always wind up leavin' on the lam

Hey, where I've been or where I'm goin'

Didn't take a lotta knowin'

But I take a lot of pride in what I am

I never travel in a hurry

Because 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 been nobody's idol but at least I got a title

And I take a lot of pride in what I am

I never been 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