Mama Tried is a 1968 country song written and performed by Merle Haggard and The Strangers. It was released July 22, 1968 as the first single and title track from the album Mama Tried, produced by Ken Nelson for Capitol Records. The song, about the pain a son causes his mother and his own time in San Quentin, draws on Haggard's early life though it is not strictly autobiographical. Its runtime is about 2 minutes and 12 seconds. The track helped launch Haggard's career, spending four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1968. It has since gained lasting recognition, including a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999 and preservation in the US National Recording Registry in 2016; Rolling Stone ranked it 376 on its 2021 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It has been widely covered, including by the Grateful Dead, the Everly Brothers, and Joan Baez.
