Mother’s Day Songs: Merle Haggard, Toby Keith, Willie Nelson – Mama Tried

In Mama Tried, Merle Haggard focuses on the pain and suffering he caused his own mother by being incarcerated in 1957 in San Quentin.

However, the song is not literally autobiographical, as many country music historians point out. While writer Bill Malone's assessment of the song is in agreement with Ace Collins' (referring to his own experiences that saw him sentenced to prison), Malone points out that Merle Haggard never was sentenced to "life without parole," as the protagonist in the song was.