So Okies, is this really true?

mscard88

mscard88

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So I'm in the shower listening to some Merle, this song comes on, so it got me wondering if it's true. How 'bout it @OkieFlyer?

 
Well, I've not spent much time in Muskogee. I suspect it's a little rougher than it was in Merle's day, but probably not far off.

In my small town, other than a few meth heads running around, I'd say the song rings mostly true for us. I'm sure you meant it as a joke, but I think the overall theme of this song is still in line with the mindset of most rural folks in this part of the world. Family oriented, patriotic, church going, respectful, tough, resourceful, hard working individuals still dominate in these parts. You know, rednecks. I can't count how many transplants, visitors, and folks I've run into while travelling have told me the Okies are the nicest people they've ever encountered. I mean look at 6PC. He's such a nice guy and Okie born.
 
I’m a native Okie from Muskogee: not when it was written and certainly not now!
 
OkieFlyer said:
Well, I've not spent much time in Muskogee. I suspect it's a little rougher than it was in Merle's day, but probably not far off.

In my small town, other than a few meth heads running around, I'd say the song rings mostly true for us. I'm sure you meant it as a joke, but I think the overall theme of this song is still in line with the mindset of most rural folks in this part of the world. Family oriented, patriotic, church going, respectful, tough, resourceful, hard working individuals still dominate in these parts. You know, rednecks. I can't count how many transplants, visitors, and folks I've run into while travelling have told me the Okies are the nicest people they've ever encountered. I mean look at 6PC. He's such a nice guy and Okie born.
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That’s a great take on it. Describes the general vibe of most Oklahomans, past and present, in my view. Muskogee has always been more urban than most of the rest non-OKC/Tulsa part of the state. It was a good place to grow up though and is a good place to be from now!
 
rsleeds said:
That’s a great take on it. Describes the general vibe of most Oklahomans, past and present, in my view. Muskogee has always been more urban than most of the rest non-OKC/Tulsa part of the state. It was a good place to grow up though and is a good place to be from now!
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You still in OK?
 
rsleeds said:
We live in Houston (like a large number of other energy transplanted Okies), but do have a ranch in NE OK.
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I hear ya. Not surprisingly, my employer also has a Houston office. Glad to know there's another Okie in the mix. :)
 
Fun fact: Merle wasn’t from Muskogee, nor even from Oklahoma, but his father was.

Muskogee today is a bit of a rough town, as there’s not a ton of work there. It’s pretty much a paper mill (Georgia Pacific), a porcelain tile company, and the Veterans Affairs office/hospital. It’s probably going to get worse now that there’s a higher likelihood that there will be a highway built to bypass the town which sits on US69. All that said, there are plenty of good folks from Muskogee (like most of Oklahoma).


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David Allan Coe’s son (don’t hold that against him) has an entertaining podcast that had an episode about the song and the background of it.
https://cocaineandrhinestones.com/merle-haggard-okie-from-muskogee
I’d never heard anyone explain where the term Okie came from and the original meaning behind it. He could be full of sheet too so....
As a fan of traditional country I’ve enjoyed the podcast so far. Merle is my favorite.
 
baboss said:
David Allan Coe’s son (don’t hold that against him) has an entertaining podcast that had an episode about the song and the background of it.
https://cocaineandrhinestones.com/merle-haggard-okie-from-muskogee
I’d never heard anyone explain where the term Okie came from and the original meaning behind it. He could be full of sheet too so....
As a fan of traditional country I’ve enjoyed the podcast so far. Merle is my favorite.
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If he explained about the "Okies" migrating to California during the Dust Bowl days, he's not full of poop. I guess it was seen as derogatory by some, though I can't for the life of me imagine why a shortened version of ones home state could be construed as such.
 
denverpilot said:
Would you rather he didn’t shower? You saw all that sweat on his poor student down there where you people live that have humidity... :)
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Yes. That doesn't conjure images of naked, old, wrinkly man parts.
 
OkieFlyer said:
If he explained about the "Okies" migrating to California during the Dust Bowl days, he's not full of poop. I guess it was seen as derogatory by some, though I can't for the life of me imagine why a shortened version of ones home state could be construed as such.
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"Grapes Of Wrath" by Steinbeck is an excellent read on that migration.
 
JCranford said:
My dad was from Smithville, OK. Can I be an honorary Okie?
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Technically I think anyone can be an Okie by living in Oklahoma and there may be some reports that Okieism is transmitted by blood. I think there is a questionnaire used to evaluate on whether or not you qualify.

The preliminaries are:
Does your home have wheels?
Do you have more than five dogs?
Do you drive a pick-up that could benefit from a paint job?
Have you ever craved watermelon when driving through Rush Springs or Duncan?
Do you know what Rush Springs and Duncan are?
Have you ever said, "Oh well, it's just a little tornado?"
Do you know two gay men named Bob?
 
Clark1961 said:
Technically I think anyone can be an Okie by living in Oklahoma and there may be some reports that Okieism is transmitted by blood. I think there is a questionnaire used to evaluate on whether or not you qualify. . .
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Is this like the "No True Scotsman" fallacy? :)
 
Clark1961 said:
Technically I think anyone can be an Okie by living in Oklahoma and there may be some reports that Okieism is transmitted by blood.
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I knew of a guy whose kids were born in Texas that took a baggie of red dirt and placed it under the hospital bed so that he could tell his kids they were born over Oklahoma soil. I just accepted the transmitted by blood part, but my daughter doesn't give it much value.
 
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