There are quite a few fair comparisons to draw between Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard. They were both famous around the same era in the 1960s and 1970s. They were both known for their incredible storytelling skills and stage presences, too. And they were both heavily associated with the outlaw country music movement.
However, there are also some stark differences between the two country legends. Haggard really embodied what outlaw country was about without even trying. Johnny Cash, on the other hand, was more interested in sticking out and making some pretty crazy career choices, like playing live at a prison. Haggard, though, was actually in prison; something that Cash never experienced. Cash had also been involved with country record labels for years, and he seemed more like the kind of musician who was on the outskirts of outlaw country than actually in it. Even his pal Waylon Jennings affirmed this.
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“John’s inside,” said Jennings in 1998. “John’s so inside you wouldn’t believe it. He used to do everything they [labels] wanted. […] I love Johnny Cash, and I respect Johnny Cash. He’s the biggest. He’s like an Elvis in this business, but no, he’s never been the rebel.”
Johnny Cash not being “true” outlaw country, though, doesn’t mean he wasn’t a next-level songwriter. And when comparing him to Merle Haggard, who comes out on top as truly the best? In the end, the two were so different that there may be no comparison to be made at all.
Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard Were Master Storytellers
The way these two icons told stories through their country tunes differed pretty significantly. Merle Haggard was a master of observation. And he didn’t just observe scenes playing out in front of him; he observed inwardly, witnessed his own emotions, and “bled out” on the page, so to speak. Listen to songs like “Mama Tried” or “Sing Me Back Home” and you’ll get what I mean here.
Johnny Cash wasn’t quite as nuanced in that sense, but his way of storytelling was almost mythic, classic in a way that was older than country and American music as a whole. He tied his storytelling songs into spiritual and conceptual themes. “The Man In Black” touches on the idea of sin and morality. “Folsom Prison Blues” touches on the loss of freedom and resentment of the wealthy class.
In the end, Cash had a bit more mainstream pop appeal than Haggard did. Haggard made it to the Billboard Hot 100 chart seven times, while Cash made it to the chart 42 times. While charting success is far from indicative of storytelling talent, Cash had the ability to captivate everyone with his songwriting talents, including people who weren’t necessarily fans of country music.
Between Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard, who do you think is the better storyteller? Drop us your thoughts in the comments below.
Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
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