Irma Jackson by Merle Haggard (1972)

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Merle Haggard

Irma Jackson is a song from Merle Haggard’s album Let Me tell You About a Song released in 1972. The song is about an interracial romance, was actually written years prior to the 1972, but not released the recording company, Capitol Records thought this would hurt Haggard’s image. The song peaked on number 67 on the Hot Country Songs chart. [1] [2]

Key Lyrics

I'd love to shout my feelin's from a mountain high

Tell the world I love her and I will till I die

There's no way the world will understand that love is colour blind

That's why Irma Jackson can't be mine

I remember when no one cared about us bein' friends

We were only children and it really didn't matter then

But we grew up too quickly in a world that draws a line

Where they say Irma Jackson can't be mine [3]

Controversy

Haggard’s Irma Jackson tells about one’s love over his sweetheart named Irma Jackson. However, the two acknowledge that the relationship cannot be continued as she "can't be mine" because "there's no way the world will understand that love is colorblind". The lyrics also point out that no one cared when the two were childhood friends, but when they are grown up, the world "draws a line," because of racial differences. In the end, Irma leaves the man, but he proclaims his love for Irma is eternal, "'till I die". [4]

References

  1. Irma Jackson. wikipedia.org. Retrieved January 24, 2021
  2. Irma Jackson Merle Haggard. lyrics.com. Retrieved January 24, 2021
  3. Irma Jackson Merle Haggard. vagalume.com. Retrieved January 23, 2021
  4. Irma Jackson. wikipedia.org. Retrieved January 24, 2021