вЂњKansas City Star,вЂќ The 3rd Time Around (1965)ДЇor all his storytelling, very few Roger Miller singles carried a nonautobiographical narrative from beginning to end. His vivid depiction of kids drinking вЂњgrape wine in a Mason jarвЂќ on field trips evidently resonated with listeners as much as considerably more generic country drinking songs still do today. вЂњChug-A-LugвЂќ flaunted MillerвЂ™s skill at contorting his voice to humorous and evocative effect in a relatively stripped-down setting. The goofy song about being young and getting drunk became Roger MillerвЂ™s second consecutive quasi-novelty track to become a massive hit, following вЂњDang MeвЂќ up BillboardвЂ™s country and pop charts before peaking on the Hot 100 at No. Miller co-wrote the matter-of-fact waltz with Bill Anderson, while Chet Atkins produced the understated recording, in which even the background chorus never interferes with the songвЂ™s melancholy message.

вЂњWhen Two Worlds Collide,вЂќ 1961Д®ven if it failed to instantly propel him to country superstardom, Roger MillerвЂ™s first top 10 single became a standard of the genre, earning covers by everyone from Jerry Lee Lewis to John Prine and Trisha Yearwood. Eddy Arnold made it a hit, but MillerвЂ™s version is all heart, as is the Dolly Parton and Alison Krauss rendition from a recent Miller tribute album. You hardly need much else when the title is that good, but Roger Miller pours it on with one of his most evocative vocal performances вЂ“ cementing the songвЂ™s status as a pitch-perfect country tune. вЂњThe Last Word in Lonesome Is Me,вЂќ The 3rd Time Around (1965)

Me and bobby mcgee roger miller