Mama Tried is the seventh studio album by American country music singer and songwriter Merle Haggard and The Strangers, released on Capitol Records in 1968.

The story was partly autobiographical, and the fact that Haggard had actually spent two years in San Quentin gives the song an authenticity that makes the lyric sound all the more heartfelt.

As detailed in the liner notes to the 1994 Haggard retrospective Down Every Road, "It was Bonnie (Owens) who brought the song to Merle's attention when the two of them did a short tour with Dolly and Porter Wagoner.

Relaxing on Merle's bus one day, the guys were up front playing poker while Dolly and Bonnie hung out in back.

Mama Tried continued Haggard's artistic and commercial hot streak, reaching number 4 on Billboard's country albums chart.