Mama Tried

“Mama Tried” is a song Merle Haggard sang out in 1968. Here are some lines:

The first thing I remember knowin’
Was a lonesome whistle blowin’
And a young un’s dream of growin’ up to ride
On a freight train leavin’ town
Not knowin’ where I’m bound
And no one could change my mind but Mama tried

One and only rebel child
From a family, meek and mild
My Mama seemed to know what lay in store
Despite all my Sunday learnin’
Towards the bad, I kept on turnin’
‘Til Mama couldn’t hold me anymore

And I turned twenty-one in prison doin’ life without parole
No one could steer me right but Mama tried, Mama tried
Mama tried to raise me better, but her pleading, I denied
That leaves only me to blame ’cause Mama tried

Does it have a precedence in history? Glad you asked.

Proverbs 6:20
My son, keep your father’s command,
And do not forsake the law of your mother.

Yes, there is a long and sordid history of destructive goals in young men, many of whom refused the advice of a godly mother. The same happens to us when we don’t acknowledge the Word of God. Give it some thought.

Gary