I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am

Album: The Fightin' Side Of Me (1970)
Play Video
  • Things I learned in a hobo jungle
    Were things they never taught me in a class room
    Like where to find a hand out
    While bummin' through Chicago in the afternoon

    Hey, I'm not braggin' or complainin'
    I'm just talkin' to myself man-to-man
    This ol' mental fat I'm chewin' didn't take a lotta doin'
    But I take a lot of pride in what I am

    I guess I grew up a loner
    I don't remember ever havin' any folks around
    But I keep thumbin' through the phonebooks
    And looking for my daddy's name in every town

    And I meet lots of friendly people
    But I'll always wind up leavin' on the lam
    Hey, where I've been or where I'm goin'
    Didn't take a lotta knowin'
    But I take a lot of pride in what I am

    I never travel in a hurry
    Because I got nobody waitin' for me anywhere
    Home is anywhere I'm livin'
    If it's sleepin' on some vacant bench in City Square

    Or if I'm workin' on some road gang
    Or just livin' off the fat of our great land
    I never been nobody's idol but at least I got a title
    And I take a lot of pride in what I am

    I never been nobody's idol but at least I got a title
    And I take a lot of pride in what I am

    I take a lot of pride in what I am
    I take a lot of pride in what I am Writer/s: MERLE HAGGARD
    Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 1

  • Grandpopdk from Odense, DenmarkCan you get any closer to "Gentle on my mind" than this????
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino EditionMusic Quiz

Whether he's splitting ears or burning Nazis, Quentin Tarantino uses memorable music in his films. See if you can match the song to the scene.

Jimmy Jam

Jimmy JamSongwriter Interviews

The powerhouse producer behind Janet Jackson's hits talks about his Boyz II Men ballads and regrouping The Time.

Song Cities

Song CitiesMusic Quiz

Nirvana, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen are among those who wrote songs with cities that show up in this quiz.

"Private Eyes" - The Story Behind the Song

"Private Eyes" - The Story Behind the SongSong Writing

How a goofy detective movie, a disenchanted director and an unlikely songwriter led to one of the biggest hits in pop history.

Guy Clark

Guy ClarkSongwriter Interviews

Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris and Lyle Lovett are just a few of the artists who have looked to Clark for insightful, intelligent songs.

Steely Dan

Steely DanFact or Fiction

Did they really trade their guitarist to The Doobie Brothers? Are they named after something naughty? And what's up with the band name?