Merle Haggard: Joint Coverage

Merle Haggard

Jan. 5, 2009 — Merle Haggard took a number of pot shots last week as he turned the corner in his battle with cancer.

The Hag had surgery in early November to remove a lemon-sized tumor from his lung, and his relationship with weed changed because of it. Merle gave up his daily pot-smoking habit four days after the operation, he told Reuters, which couldn’t resist noting that his biggest hit, "Okie From Muskogee," is built on a weed reference: "We don’t smoke marijuana in Muskogee."

Merle started smoking weed, he said, after a doctor told him it was a good replacement for his Valium habit. And he played his first post-surgery concert Friday at the Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, where he intended to perform for the first time in his life without the aid of pot or tobacco to loosen him up before the show.

"It's gonna be interesting," he said, "as to what kind of a show comes out of this body that's used to performing the other way."

The performance was well received. According to The Bakersfield Californian, Merle’s set list included "Mama Tried," "I Think I’ll Just Stay Here And Drink," "Going Where The Lonely Go" and "Are The Good Times Really Over (I Wish A Buck Was Still Silver)." He stopped twice to comment on the latter song because it — like "Muskogee" — has a line with its own marijuana reference: "I wish Coke was still cola and a joint was a bad place to be."

Merle received a star that same afternoon at the Bakersfield Walk of Fame outside the city’s Fox Theater.