Saginaw, Michigan

Lefty Frizzell

About Saginaw, Michigan

"Saginaw, Michigan" is a 1964 song performed by Lefty Frizzell. The single was Lefty Frizzell's sixth and final number one on the U. S. country chart. "Saginaw, Michigan" spent a total of twenty-three weeks on the country chart and peaked at number eighty-five on the Billboard Hot 100. The song earned Lefty Frizzell a Grammy nomination. The most notable cover of the song was done by Bobby Bare. It was included on his 1966 LP, The Streets of Baltimore. Another notable rendition of the song is by John Prine and Mac Wiseman on their 2007 CD, Standard Songs for Average People.  


Year:
1964
2,921 
#6

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I was born in Saginaw, Michigan
I grew up in a house on Saginaw Bay
My dad was a poor, hard-working Saginaw fisherman
Too many times he came home with too little pay

I loved a girl in Saginaw, Michigan
The daughter of a wealthy, wealthy man
But he called me that son of a Saginaw fisherman
And not good enough to claim his daughter's hand

Now I'm up here in Alaska, looking around for gold
Like a crazy fool I'm digging in this frozen ground so cold
But with each new day I pray I'll strike it rich and then
I'll go back home and claim my love in Saginaw, Michigan

I wrote my love in Saginaw, Michigan
I said honey I'm coming home please wait for me
And you can tell your dad I'm coming back a richer man
I hit the biggest strike in Klondike history

Her dad met me in Saginaw, Michigan
He gave me a great big party with champagne
Then he said son you wise young ambitious man
Will you sell your father-in-law your Klondike claim

Now he's up there in Alaska digging in the cold, cold ground
The greedy fool is looking for the gold I never found
It serves him right and no one here is missing him
Least of all the newlyweds of Saginaw, Michigan

We're the happiest man and wife in Saginaw, Michigan

He's ashamed to show his face in Saginaw, Michigan

 Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer


Lefty Frizzell

William Orville "Lefty" Frizzell (March 31, 1928 – July 19, 1975) was an American country music singer and songwriter of the 1950s, and a proponent of honky tonk music. His relaxed style of singing was an influence on later stars Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, George Jones and John Fogerty. He is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. more »

2 fans

Written by: Bill Anderson, Donald Wayne Choate

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


8 facts about this song

Song Composition
"Saginaw, Michigan" is a popular country song, written by the American songwriters Don Wayne and Bill Anderson.
Release and Popularity
The song was first recorded and popularized by Lefty Frizzell, a country music singer-songwriter, in 1964. - The track reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in February 1964, giving Frizzell his last No.1 single.
Cover Versions
"Saginaw, Michigan" was covered by various artists over the years. Mac Wiseman, one of the defining voices in bluegrass music, also recorded a rendition of this song seemingly making it popular among bluegrass fans.
Lyrics and Thema
The song's lyrics tell a rags-to-riches story set against the backdrop of Saginaw, Michigan. It talks about a young man from a poor fisherman's family who outwits a high society man to win his daughter's hand in marriage.
Recognition
Frizzell's version of the song was awarded a Grammy Hall of Fame Award, an honor given to recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance, in 2001.
In Popular Culture
The song carries a cultural significance in Saginaw, Michigan, resonating with the city's history of economic struggle. It's often played or performed at local festivals and events.
Versatility of Artists
Despite the song being a core country tune, artists from different genres, like bluegrass and folk, have successfully delivered renditions of it, demonstrating its cross-genre appeal.
Impact on Artists’ Careers
For lefty Frizzell, "Saginaw, Michigan" was a major hit that revitalized his waning career in the 1960s. For Mac Wiseman, the song extended his repertoire, showing his ability to adapt hits from other genres into his bluegrass style.

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    Saginaw, Michigan

    2.6M
    11,828     575

    Top Hot 100 Songs 1964

    Billboard #85


    Album

    Saginaw, Michigan

    • #1
      Saginaw, Michigan

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