Lyrics The Way It Was In '51 - Merle Haggard , The Strangers

Sixty-Six was still a narrow two-lane highway
Harry Truman was the man who ran the show
The bad Korean war was just beginning
And I was just three years too young to go

Country music hadn't gone to New York City, yet
And a service man was proud of what he'd done
Hank and Lefty crowded every jukebox
That's the way it was in '51

There's so much about the good old days, I'd love to tell
And there's folks around, I know, still remember well
Slow dancin' close together when a ballad played
'Cause a thing called, 'Rock and Roll' was yet to come
It was a big year for a drive-in restaurant carhop
That's the way it was in '51

There's so much about the good old days, I'd love to tell
And there's folks around, I know, still remember well
Slow dancin' close together, when a ballad played
'Cause a thing called, 'Rock and Roll' was yet to come
A big year for a drive-in restaurant carhop
That's the way it was in '51

Yeah, Hank and Lefty crowded every jukebox
Oh, Lord, that's the way it was in '51