In the winter of the 1970s, Merle Haggard released If We Make It Through December — a song that many thought was simply a fictional story of an unemployed father trying to hold his family together during Christmas. But for Merle, it was a reflection of his own life. Losing his father at just nine years old, Merle grew up in poverty, watching his mother work endlessly to support her children. As a teenager, he wandered through California, sleeping in his truck and taking any job he could find to survive. The cold winters, the fractured family, and the loneliness became ingrained in his soul. That’s why If We Make It Through December is more than just a song — it’s a heartfelt prayer for struggling families. For Merle Haggard, it was a way to confront his past, transform his pain into music, and touch the hearts of millions every winter.

Introduction Merle Haggard’s “If We Make It Through December”: A Heartfelt Country Classic “If We...