“You are walking on the fighting side of me.”
++++
Merle Haggard’s intensely expressed patriotism in “The Fighting Side of Me” was composed during the War in Vietnam.
“The Fighting Side of Me” and “Okie from Muskogee” are two trademark truly iconic songs.
In “Okie from Muskogee,” Haggard expresses strong angry support for the Vietnam War. In Okie from Muskogee he excoriates draft burners. Yet curiously even draft card burners embraced the song, singing the song a s they were burning their draft cards.
++++
Lyrics “The Fighting Side of Me”
I hear people talkin’ bad,
About the way we have to live here in this country,
Harpin’ on the wars we fight,
An’ gripin’ ’bout the way things oughta be.
An’ I don’t mind ’em switchin’ sides,
An’ standin’ up for things they believe in.
When they’re runnin’ down my country, man,
They’re walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me.
++++
Toby Keith and Scott Emerick singing the song “I’ll Never Smoke Weed With Willie Again” during Willie Nelson’s 70th birthday celebration.
More Lyrics “The Fighting Side of Me”
Yeah, walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me.
Runnin’ down the way of life,
Our fightin’ men have fought and died to keep.
If you don’t love it, leave it:
Let this song I’m singin’ be a warnin’.
If you’re runnin’ down my country, man,
You’re walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me.
I read about some squirrely guy,
Who claims, he just don’t believe in fightin’.
An’ I wonder just how long,
The rest of us can count on bein’ free.
They love our milk an’ honey,
But they preach about some other way of livin’.
When they’re runnin’ down my country, hoss,
They’re walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me.
Yeah, walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me.
Runnin’ down the way of life,
Our fightin’ men have fought and died to keep.
If you don’t love it, leave it:
Let this song I’m singin’ be a warnin’.
If you’re runnin’ down my country, man,
You’re walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me.
Yeah, walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me.
Runnin’ down the way of life,
Our fightin’ men have fought and died to keep.
If you don’t love it, leave it:
Let this song I’m singin’ be a warnin’.
If you’re runnin’ down my country, man,
You’re walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me.
Let this song I’m singin’ be a warnin’