I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am - Merle Haggard

Things I learned in a hobo jungle
Were things they never taught me in a class room
Like where to find a hand out
While bummin' through Chicago in the afternoon

Hey, I'm not braggin' or complainin'
I'm just talkin' to myself man-to-man
This ol' mental fat I'm chewin' didn't take a lotta doin'
But I take a lot of pride in what I am

I guess I grew up a loner
I don't remember ever havin' any folks around
But I keep thumbin' through the phonebooks
And looking for my daddy's name in every town

And I meet lots of friendly people
But I'll always wind up leavin' on the lam
Hey, where I've been or where I'm goin'
Didn't take a lotta knowin'
But I take a lot of pride in what I am

I never travel in a hurry
Because I got nobody waitin' for me anywhere
Home is anywhere I'm livin'
If it's sleepin' on some vacant bench in City Square

Or if I'm workin' on some road gang
Or just livin' off the fat of our great land
I never been nobody's idol but at least I got a title
And I take a lot of pride in what I am

I never been nobody's idol but at least I got a title
And I take a lot of pride in what I am

I take a lot of pride in what I am
I take a lot of pride in what I am