About the song
There are certain songs in American music that transcend their moment in time and become snapshots of the nation’s cultural psyche. “Okie from Muskogee,” originally released by Merle Haggard in 1969 and later performed in duet with the legendary Willie Nelson, is one such song. Though it began as a tongue-in-cheek response to the tumult and rebellion of the late 1960s, it has since taken on a complex life of its own—celebrated, critiqued, and endlessly debated, yet always unmistakably iconic.
Haggard, himself a product of Dust Bowl California and a man who had lived a hard road—including time served at San Quentin—was never one to hide behind pretense. His early work painted raw, honest portraits of the working class, and “Okie from Muskogee” emerged as a curious pivot in his songwriting. Co-written with drummer Roy Edward Burris, the song ostensibly champions small-town American values over the perceived chaos of the counterculture. With lines like “We don’t smoke marijuana in Muskogee” and “We don’t let our hair grow long and shaggy,” the lyrics draw a stark, if satirical, contrast between what Haggard called the “hippies out in San Francisco” and the quiet pride of heartland living.
When Willie Nelson later joined him in performance, the song took on another layer of richness. Nelson, known for his open embrace of the very culture the song critiques—long-haired, marijuana-friendly, and defiantly progressive—brought a sly, knowing charm to the duet. Together, their voices blend into something more nuanced than simple mockery or nostalgia. It becomes a conversation—a musical handshake across a cultural divide.
“Okie from Muskogee” was never just a song about politics or patriotism. It was about identity, and more importantly, belonging. In the wake of assassinations, protests, and an unpopular war, it gave voice to a segment of America that felt left behind, baffled by the pace of change. For others, it became a caricature to resist. But love it or loathe it, the song opened up dialogue and forced people to reckon with their own beliefs.
In hindsight, perhaps that was Haggard’s greatest gift: not to preach, but to provoke. And with Nelson alongside him, “Okie from Muskogee” stands not just as a protest against protest—but as a testament to the enduring complexity of American life.
Video
Lyrics
We don’t smoke marijuana in Muskogee
We don’t take our trips on LSD
We don’t burn our draft cards down on Main Street
We like livin’ right, and bein’ freeWe don’t make a party out of lovin’
We like holdin’ hands and pitchin’ woo
We don’t let our hair grow long and shaggy
Like the hippies out in San Francisco doI’m proud to be an Okie from Muskogee,
A place where even squares can have a ball
We still wave Old Glory down at the courthouse,
And white lightnin’s still the biggest thrill of allLeather boots are still in style for manly footwear
Beads and Roman sandals won’t be seen
Football’s still the roughest thing on campus
And the kids here still respect the college deanWAnd I’m proud to be an Okie from Muskogee
A place where even squares can have a ball.
We still wave Old Glory down at the courthouse
And white lightnin’s still the biggest thrill of allAnd white lightnin’s still the biggest thrill of all
In Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA.
