"The Fugitive' is a 1966 single by Merle Haggard

Merle Haggard

Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...

 which was written by Liz Anderson

Liz Anderson

Liz Anderson was anAmerican country music singer/songwriter who was one of a wave of a new generation of female vocalists in the genre during the 1960's to write and record her own songs on a regular basis. Writing in The New York Times Bill Friskics-Warren noted, "Like her contemporary Loretta...

 and Casey Anderson, parents of country star Lynn Anderson

Lynn Anderson

Lynn Rene Anderson is an American country music singer and equestrian known for a string of hits throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, most notably her Grammy Award-winning, worldwide mega-hit, " Rose Garden." Helped by her regular exposure on national television, Anderson was one of the most...

. "The Fugitive" was Haggard's sixth release to reach the U.S. country singles chart and his first number one on the chart. The single spent one week at number one and spent a total of fifteen weeks on the chart. The B-side, "Someone Told My Story", peaked at number thirty-two on the country chart.

Chart performance

Chart (1966–1967)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	1