If You Want to Be My Woman

"If You Want to Be My Woman" is a song written and originally recorded by American country music artist Merle Haggard backed by The Strangers on Haggard's 1967 album I'm a Lonesome Fugitive. Haggard re-recorded the song in 1989 and released it in December as the third single from his album 5:01 Blues. The song peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and reached number 15 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.

The song was Haggard's last top-40 country hit; like most classic country artists, Haggard's chart career was severely damaged by changes in the country industry that hit in the early 1990s. It was co-produced by Mark Yeary, keyboardist of The Strangers.

Personnel

 * Merle Haggard– vocals, guitar

The Strangers:
 * Norm Hamlet – pedal steel guitar
 * Clint Strong – guitar
 * Bobby Wayne – guitar
 * Mark Yeary – hammond organ, piano, electric piano
 * Jimmy Belkin – fiddle, strings
 * Biff Adams – drums
 * Don Markham – saxophone, trumpet
 * Gary Church – cornet, trombone