Merle Haggard’s “Today I Started Loving You Again”: A Timeless Ode to Perpetual Heartbreak and Hope
Ah, “Today I Started Loving You Again.” Just the title alone, when you hear those words, doesn’t it just bring a flood of memories? It’s one of those songs that settles deep in the soul, a true cornerstone of classic country music that speaks to the weary heart with a wisdom only time can grant. It’s often associated with both the great Merle Haggard and the legendary Marty Robbins, and while the connection is rich, it’s ‘The Hag’ we owe the initial, profound creation to.
Now, here’s a fact that might surprise those of you who’ve treasured this song for decades: when Merle Haggard first released his version in 1968, it was tucked away as the B-side to his chart-topping hit, “The Legend of Bonnie and Clyde.” Can you believe it? This exquisite, deeply moving meditation on enduring love and loss failed to chart at the time. It was a true “sleeper hit,” a testament to the fact that sometimes, the most enduring art needs time to find its audience, to seep into the cultural consciousness. It wouldn’t be until later covers, particularly Sammi Smith’s 1975 version, that the song finally found the broad commercial success its emotional depth deserved.
The story behind the song is almost as tender as the lyrics themselves. Merle Haggard wrote it in 1967 with his then-wife, the wonderful Bonnie Owens. They were still married at the time, and Bonnie often helped capture Merle’s raw, spontaneous bursts of creativity. The legend goes that Merle asked Bonnie to run out and grab him a hamburger—a mundane moment that birthed a masterpiece. By the time she returned, the core of the song was almost complete. It’s a beautiful thought, isn’t it? That from a simple, everyday request, such a profound piece of emotional truth could emerge.
It speaks volumes that Haggard initially thought the song was better suited for another artist, specifically his friend, the smooth-voiced crooner Marty Robbins. Merle felt it had the distinct, polished sound that Robbins was known for. Because Haggard went into the studio to record an album before he had a chance to formally offer it to Marty, he recorded it himself, and country history was forever changed. Robbins, a great artist in his own right, did later record his own version, demonstrating the mutual respect and friendship between these two giants of the genre, but it is Haggard’s poignant delivery that most folks remember first.
The true significance of “Today I Started Loving You Again” lies in its brutal, cyclical honesty about heartbreak. It isn’t a song about a clean break or the healing passage of time. Quite the opposite. It captures that gut-wrenching realization that no matter how hard you try to move on—no matter how many days you wake up determined to forget—the love is still there, waiting to ambush you.
“I’m right back where I’ve really always been,” the chorus confesses. This isn’t just about starting to love someone new again; it’s about the emotional groundhog day of loving the same person, day after day, year after year, despite every logical reason to stop. It’s the kind of truth that resonates with anyone who’s ever carried a deep, long-term love—a reminder that some feelings don’t fade, they simply hibernate, ready to surface with the new dawn. It’s a simple, elegant piece of poetry, an enduring treasure that reminds us that true country music is nothing less than the sound of the human heart, worn right on the sleeve.