Merle Haggard — I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am

[Verse] Things I learned in a hobo jungle Were things they never taught me in a classroom Like where to find a handout While bumming through Chicago in the afternoon Hey, I'm not bragging or complaining I am just talking to myself man to man This old mental fat I'm chewing didn't take a lot of doing But I take a lot of pride in what I am I guess I grew up a loner I don't remember ever having any folks around But I keep thumbing through the phone books And looking for my daddy's name in every town And I meet lots of friendly people But I always wind up leaving on the lam Where I've been or where I'm going Didn't take a lot of knowing But I take a lot of pride in what I am I never travel in a hurry Because I got nobody waiting for me anywhere Home is anywhere I'm living If it's sleeping on some vacant bench in city squares Or if I'm working on some road gang Or just living off the fat of our great land I never been nobody's idol, but at least I got a title And I take a lot of pride in what I am I never been nobody's idol, but at least I got a title And I take a lot of pride in what I am I take a lot of pride in what I am I take a lot of pride in what I am