In 1969, “Okie From Muskogee” had made Merle Haggard a hero to conservatives, and everyone was waiting to hear what he would do next. What he wanted was a surprise: his follow-up single was supposed to be “Irma Jackson,” a love song about a white man and a Black woman. His record label would not let him, and put out “The Fightin’ Side of Me” in its place.
What he wanted to do next surprised a lot of people. He wanted his follow-up single to be “Irma Jackson,” a love song about a white man and a Black woman. His record label would not let him.
The Song Merle Wanted You to Hear
“Irma Jackson” is a short, uptempo song with a hard truth at its center. The narrator and Irma grew up together as children, and nobody cared that one was white and one was Black. But as they grew older, the world drew a line between them. In the end Irma goes away, and he promises to love her for the rest of his life.
It was not the first time Merle Haggard had touched this subject. He had already recorded “Go Home,” a Tommy Collins song with a similar theme. But releasing “Irma Jackson” as a single, right after “Okie,” would have put it in front of the same audience that had just embraced him, at the exact moment they thought they had him figured out.
That was the point. Merle hoped the song would help move him away from the hard-right image “Okie” had given him.
It is worth remembering the times. The Supreme Court had struck down state bans on interracial marriage in 1967. When Merle brought “Irma Jackson” to his label, that ruling was less than three years old.
“I Don’t Believe the World Is Ready”
At Capitol Records, the reaction was swift. According to Rolling Stone, executives were reportedly appalled. Ken Nelson, who ran Capitol’s country division and had produced Merle’s records, delivered the decision himself.
“Merle, I don’t believe the world is ready for this yet.” (Ken Nelson, as recalled by Merle Haggard)
Merle later said that was the one time Ken Nelson ever interfered with his music.
The label had a different song in mind. “The Fightin’ Side of Me” was a hard-hitting answer to critics of the Vietnam War, and it fit the image Capitol wanted to protect. It was released on January 26, 1970, and became Merle’s fourth No. 1 country hit in a row. It also cemented the very reputation he had hoped “Irma Jackson” might soften.
Someone Else Released It First
The song did not stay silent for long, just not in Merle’s voice. In 1970, singer Tony Booth recorded “Irma Jackson” as his first single for MGM Records. It reached No. 67 on the country chart.
Merle’s own version stayed in the vault.
Track Nine, Two Years Later
In June 1972, Capitol finally released Merle Haggard’s recording of “Irma Jackson” on his album Let Me Tell You About a Song. It sat at track nine. It was never released as a single.
Merle never stopped standing behind it. He called it his favorite because it told it like it was, and he said it had stayed unreleased only because the time was not right.
“Tells it like it is.” (Merle Haggard, on “Irma Jackson”)
When the song did come out, some of the conservative fans who had embraced “Okie” were shocked. Merle was not bothered. He said that he and Johnny Cash both believed strongly in freedom of speech. He also told the Wall Street Journal that people were narrow-minded, and that some in the South might have called him names for taking that stand.
Was the Label Wrong?
Merle Haggard was too honest to tell this story as simple villainy. Looking back in a 2001 interview, he acknowledged that releasing “Irma Jackson” back then might have undermined his career.
Maybe Ken Nelson was protecting him. Maybe the world was more ready than Capitol believed. Either way, the decision shaped how millions of people saw Merle Haggard for the rest of his life. They knew the man from “Okie” and “The Fightin’ Side of Me.” Far fewer knew the man who wrote “Irma Jackson” and wanted it to be the next thing they heard.
Merle Haggard died on April 6, 2016, his 79th birthday. “Irma Jackson” is still there, track nine, waiting for anyone who wants to hear the song he chose.