The Steel Guitar Forum

I love to back a singer singing

The Farmers Daughter
Looking for a Place to Fall Apart
Shelly's Winter Love
Silver Wings
Sing Me Back Home

Merle does it for me, such emotion in his writing, it rips my heart out sometimes.

Larry Behm

I've always been moved by "Every Fool Has a Rainbow".

"Misery and gin" and "Going where the lonely goes".

Carolyn...Silver Wings...Always On A Mtn...If We Make It Thru December...Sing Me Back Home...Always Wanting You...etc , etc

The Way It Was In 51. YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.

Daddy Frank
I'm A Lonesome Fugitive
Branded Man
Mama Tried
Today I Started Loving You Again

If We're Not Back In Love By Monday.

He's written lots of great tunes like the ones you guys have mentioned.

Lately we (Ray Cross and the Country Heartbeats) have been doing one that I didn't know before, "In the Arms of Love." I like the way it starts out very spare and "low-key," then builds to higher register with more passion.

Chris

Always Wanting You, All in the Movies, Carolyn.

Chris....

I believe that's an old Tommy Collins song....great choice !
Use to be a time that we could've done 2hrs of Merle easy!

I've always liked "Huntsville" - obscure, but has a great groove. jc

“Sing a Sad Song”
I enjoy playing the solo.
Mr. Hamlet has such a soulful touch.

Big City
Wake Up

And pretty much every song already mentioned.

Today I Started Loving You Again
Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down
Swinging Doors
I'm a Lonesome Fugitive
Sing Me Back Home
Mama Tried
Workin' Man's Blues
Silver Wings
Okie from Muskogee
The Fighting Side of Me
Big City
Going Where the Lonely Go

I tried to whittle it down to 10, but couldn't, so call it an even dozen.

"You'll Always Be Special To Me"
a very beautiful song

Someday When Things Are Good

I Threw Away The Rose

Whittling down a Merle repertoire is tough, indeed. Tossing in a few of my favorites, not to the exclusion of any others ....
Always on a Mountain (side note - I have been amazed through the years how many bands do not get this song right!)
Misery and Gin
Carolyn
Footlights (tonight we'll kick the footlights out again)

"Always On A Mountain" by the man himself.

Radney Foster's cover of "The Running Kind."

And all the others already mentioned.

See what I mean, tons of just great songs. I think Merle might have wanted to be a steel player in another life, we are the winners here every time.

Larry Behm

I'm rolling down hill like a snow ball headed for hell, I live this stuff.

It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad)
Always On A Mountain also

"I Can't Hold Myself In Line","Things Aren't Funny Any More","Tulare Dust/Mama Tried","Everybody's Had The Blues","Heaven Was a Drink of Wine","I Set My Chickens Free"

I'm surprised no one has mentioned, "I Could Have Gone Right".

I also like, "Holding Things Together". Just listen to Norm on this one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4Rm9hGzg6U

Hard to miss with a Merle tune. I'm sure this will grow into several pages. One of my all-time favorites I didn't mention is Mama's Hungry Eyes.

Too many great ones to pick a favorite, but Holding Things Together, From Now On All My Friends Are Gonna Be Strangers, Whiteline Fever are 3 of mine.

My fave's today would be "Every Fool has A Rainbow" "The Train Never stops At Our Town' and "What's Wrong With Stayin Home With Julie"