Merle Haggard: Always Wanting You Meaning

Song Released: 1975

Always Wanting You Lyrics

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1. anonymous

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   Apr 6th 2020 !⃝

   The Story Behind The Song:
   
   “Always Wanting You”
   (written by Merle Haggard)
   
   Merle Haggard (#1, 1975)
   
   This is the story of a song in which the performer expresses love for another person in the storyline. In country music, that’s pretty ordinary. The big difference here is that Merle Haggard was professing his real-life love for an artist that he had become infatuated with while on tour with her: Dolly Parton. He didn’t mention Parton by name in the song, of course, but it became common knowledge that’s who he was singing about, and he had no problem talking publically about his feelings regarding Dolly. She and Merle had toured a lot together during 1974-75, and during that time they spent large blocks of time with each other. Traveling from show to show, she would ride on his bus or he would ride on hers, and they talked a great deal about music and their personal goals. Not only that, Haggard expressed his desires for a more intimate relationship on several occasions, but Dolly insisted throughout that it could never work (she was married, but he was between wives at the time). Although her husband Carl Dean never went on tour with her, she insisted that she loved only him, and would never cheat on him. Nonetheless, Merle’s desires persisted.
   
   The situation got to the point that Haggard literally couldn’t get Dolly off his mind. He would envision her when he walked out on stage to do a show, when he went to sleep at night and when he woke up in the morning. He tried everything to put her out of his mind, but nothing worked. Merle was the type of songwriter who could be inspired by the least little thing which might trigger an idea for a song. But this infatuation with Dolly was big and it completely overwhelmed him. So, of course, there had to be a song come out of it. He proudly wrote “Always Wanting You” specifically for the object of his desire. In fact, he was so proud of his accomplishment that he telephoned Parton at three o’clock one morning from Reno, Nevada and sang the song to her right over the phone (hoping this could possibly impress her enough to give in). Once again, she explained her inability to get involved and eventually, after she listened to the song and his pleading, he finally allowed her to go back to sleep.
   
   This episode became a matter of public record after its inclusion in Merle’s book “Sing Me Back Home: My Own Story.” Haggard wasn’t embarrassed about it, nor did Dolly claim to be. She handled it with her usual grace, saying that she was more flattered than anything about him feeling that way. By withholding her temptation (if she ever was tempted) and Merle not claiming that they had had an affair (so the issue of a scandal was avoided), were the two things she says kept the embarrassment in check. She wrapped it up neatly by simply saying that Merle is a very special friend to her, and it was very bold and sweet of him to tell her that he cared that much.
   
   Although written especially for Dolly, “Always Wanting You” was Merle’s first and only number one single to feature Louise Mandrell. She toured with Haggard’s band for six months, and when he recorded the song at Jack Clement Studios in Nashville, she joined Ronnie Reno as a supporting vocalist. “Always Wanting You” reached the pinnacle of Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart on April 12, 1975, and was strong enough to remain in that position for two weeks. It was Haggard’s sixth number one single in a row, and the 20th of his eventual 38 chart-toppers, the third most in history.
2. anonymous

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   Feb 25th 2018 !⃝

   Song of heartache- always wanting you, but never having you. Wow!! The other line- “I’d been better off if I turned away and never looked at you that second time; cause I really had my life all together till your eyes met mine.”

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