tavis: up next, merle haggard. stay with us. please welcome merle haggard to this program. the country music legend is considered to be one of the most influential country artist in history. his latest disk is called "working in tennessee." an honor to have you on this program. are you doing all right? good to have you here. it has been a long road. that is a lot of hits, man. >> we have had over 100 and the charts over the years. it has been an enjoyable life. tavis: how do decide, who convinced you to take your music seriously? >> i made that decision. it was either the guitar or the cotton patch. it did not take a lot of intelligence to make that decision. tavis: tell me about the project. >> it is our latest effort. it is a song that has a couple of different meanings. it is partly current events. flood down there in tennessee and it is kind of a ball back. i looked up on television one day and they were talking about a flood. i imagined what i would feel like if i saw my guitar floating by. i wrote that song for the trailing thoughts of that song writing endeavor. does

pillows to cry on suzanne, when i was growing up and listening to great country music artists like merle haggard they're all here in this collection, along with another one of my favorite singers... ♪ what's a memory like you ♪ doing in love like this ♪ in the twilight glow i see ♪ ♪ blue eyes crying in the rain ♪ he stopped loving her today ♪ they placed a wreath upon his door ♪ ♪ now i'm lying here with linda on my mind ♪ ♪ and next to me my soon to be ♪ ♪ the one i left behind ♪ let's go to ♪ luckenbach, texas ♪ with waylon and willie ♪ and the boys ♪ i love how country songs can make you feel! i know, i do too, it's the sound, it's the rhythm, it's the stories that they tell. ♪ 'cause i love a rainy night ♪ yeah, i love a rainy night ♪ souern nights ♪ have you ever felt ♪ a southern night ♪ elvira ♪ ♪ elvira ♪ ♪ my heart's on fire for elvira ♪ ♪ shine on my, sunshine, walk with me ♪ ♪ well, it's a skip-a-dee doo-dah day ♪ ♪ i'm the happiest girl in the whole u.s.a. ♪ wow, country love songs really are like no other kind of love song. i agree. i think that's because they tell stories that we