Merle-Misery and Gin

[teleon]

[Telarkaster]

Thank you good sir, that made my Sunday morning!

[MandyMarie]

I love that song so much - the lyrics in that one are downright KILLER.

[getbent]

looking at the world through the bottom of a glass... all I see is my world fading fast....



Snuff and Billy are poets.

[woodman]

wow, my favorite among all Merle favorites ... the way that rich voice just rolls out effortlessly, like molasses flowing downhill.

curiously, this version and another live version i've got go to the IV chord on "(any fool can) tell," whereas on the single, it goes to a II chord there.

[JayFreddy]

Must be something in the quantum flux... I just transcribed this tune for a student last week. He couldn't find any accurate versions on the I'net.

Hope this isn't against any forum rules, simply "my interpretation" here...

MISERY AND GIN  Durill/Garrett
As performed by Merle Haggard

F Piano Intro

F
Memories and drinks don't mix too well
    F                                        Bb       G7
And jukebox records don't play those wedding bells
C
Looking at the world through the bottom of a glass
C                               F      C7
All I see is a man who's fadin' fast

F
Tonight I need that woman again 
F                                      Bb    G7
what I'd give for my baby to just walk in
C
Sit down beside me and say it's alright
C                                        F      C7
Take me home and make sweet love to me tonight

CHORUS
F             F/A          Bb         Gm         
But here I am again mixing misery and gin
              C                              F
Sittin' with all my friends and talkin' to myself
  Bb                     A                 Dm   C     Bb    Bo
I look like I'm havin' a good time but any fool   can tell
          F
That this honky tonk heaven really makes you 
Bb   C7      F    C7
feel    like hell

F
I light a lonely woman's cigarette
F                                         Bb    G7
We start talkin' bout what we want to forget
C
Her life story and mine are the same
   C                                            F   C7
We both lost someone and only have ourselves to blame

REPEAT CHORUS and END on F

[bender-freak]

i think Misery and Gin is one of Merle's greatest songs, had it on my "set list" for years and still like to do it instrumentally here at home since i ain't gigging any more...powerful, powerful song...

my "version" is almost like JayFreddy's...with the exception of i use a few more "passing" minors and augs here and there...but that's easy for me to do since all i do is pick em, i don't sing em....