Merle Haggard: Mama Tried
[purchase]
In my book, this is the big mama of all "mama" songs. It's one of the all-time great country songs sung by one of the most legendary voices in the history of country music (second only to Hank, I'd say).
Whether you hear it wafting from the jukebox on Friday night, singing from your a.m. radio on sunny Saturday afternoon, or streaming from that tiny speaker on your laptop on a Tuesday afternoon at work, this is what country music was meant to sound like.
Be sure to check out the comprehensive song review at AMG (which I can only fault for misquoting the lyrics, by calling the singer a "railroad" child).
"One and only rebel child from a family meek and mild..."