The Momma 'n' Daddy Collection 57

It's back to one of the titans of the music this morning. I'm talking about Merle Haggard. He's singing 'Hungry Eyes', a song that marries the themes of family, economic hardship and 'another class of people [who] put us somewhere just below':

A canvas-covered cabin in a crowded labour camp
Stand out in this memory I revived;
Cause my Daddy raised a family there, with two hard-working hands
And tried to feed my Mama's hungry eyes.

He dreamed of something better, and my Mama's faith was strong
And us kids were just too young to realize
That another class of people put us somewhere just below;
One more reason for my Mama's hungry eyes.

Chorus
Mama never had the luxuries she wanted
But it wasn't cause my Daddy didn't try.
She only wanted things she really needed;
One more reason for my Mama's hungry eyes.

I remember Daddy praying for a better way of life
But I don't recall a change of any size;
Just a little loss of courage, as their age began to show
And more sadness in my Mama's hungry eyes.

Repeat chorus
Oh, I still recall my Mama's hungry eyes.

I'm sending this one out especially for Emily.

[The Momma 'n' Daddy Archive, containing all the details of the series, is here.]