| "Grandma Harp" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Merle Haggard | ||||
| from the album Let Me Tell You About A Song | ||||
| B-side | Turning Off a Memory | |||
| Released | March 20, 1972 | |||
| Format | 7" | |||
| Recorded | November 18, 1971 Hollywood, California |
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| Genre | Country | |||
| Label | Capitol 3198 | |||
| Writer(s) | Merle Haggard | |||
| Producer | Ken Nelson | |||
| Merle Haggard singles chronology | ||||
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"Grandma Harp' is a 1972 single written and recorded by Merle Haggard. "Grandma Harp" would be Merle Haggard's 12th No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in May 1972, staying atop the chart for two weeks, and spending a total 14 weeks in the top 40.[1]
The song is a reflection of a young man's grandmother - the family matriarch and title character, Zone Villines (aka "Grandma Harp"), who was born in Newton County, Arkansas and lived for 90 years. The protagonist (who sings the song in first person) says that her life story can be told in only a few short lines, but reflects on how Grandma Harp (along with Grandpa, whom she married in 1901) was a rock that held the family together.
| Chart (1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 5 |
| Preceded by "Chantilly Lace" by Jerry Lee Lewis |
Billboard Hot Country Singles number-one single May 13-May 20, 1972 |
Succeeded by "(Lost Her Love) On Our Last Date" by Conway Twitty |