Merle Haggard — The Proudest Fiddle in the World A Maidens Prayer

[Intro - Spoken] Merle titled this album Let Me Tell You About A Song, but right now let me tell you about a fiddle - one that was given to Merle out of kindness by the great Bob Wills After leaving the Wills' home that day, Merle was so moved, he just sat and stared silently at the fiddle for a long time Finally he said, "Wish this fiddle could talk." Then he said, "On second thought, what if that fiddle that's in the Hall of Fame - the one he played on 'San Antonio Rose' could just talk? What a story it could tell." And Merle said, "I think if I were that fiddle, this is what I'd say." [Verse] Who I am and what I was I'm sure the whole world knows Why, I'm the great Bob Wills fiddle That played on "San Antonio Rose" But I lay here now in the Hall of Fame A showpiece that no one plays And my tone that used to thrill the dancing crowds Is gone with the good old days I wish my strings could just talk And tell the story to all the passing fans Boy, I'd even like to rear back and play a breakdown But I can't do it without the master's hands Yeah I was part of something great and I know it I even played on "The Old Brown Skin Girl" Though my strings are old and dusty now I'm still the proudest fiddle in the world