There is no one better qualified to write a eulogy to Kris Kristofferson than the great singer-songwriter himself.
His lyrics were some of the most inventive in modern music. And these verses from 10 of his songs say it all about the majesty of his compositions:
Well I woke up Sunday mornin’
With no way to hold my head that didn’t hurt
And the beer I had for breakfast wasn’t bad
So I had one more for dessert
Then I fumbled through my closet for my clothes
And found my cleanest dirty shirt
And I shaved my face and combined my hair
And stumbled down the stairs to meet the day
Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down (1969)
Busted flat in Baton Rouge, heading for the trains
Feelin’ nearly faded as my jeans
Bobby thumbed a diesel down, just before it rained
Took us all the way to New Orleans
I took my harpoon out of my dirty red bandana
And was blowin‘ sad while Bobby sang the blues
With those windshield wipers slappin’ time
And Bobby clappin’ hands, we finally
Sang up every song that driver knew
Me and Bobby McGee (1969)
Take the ribbon from your hair
Shake it loose and let it fall
Layin’ soft upon my skin
Like the shadows on the wall
Come and lay down by my side
'Til the early morning light
All I’m taking is your time
Help me make it through the night
Help Me Make It Through the Night (1970)
Casey leaves the underground
And stops inside the Golden Crown
For something wet to wipe away
The chill that’s on his bone
Seeing his reflection in the lives of all the lonely men
Who reach for anything they can to keep from going home
Standing in the corner, Casey drinks his pint of bitter
Never glancing in the mirror at the people passing by
Then he stumbles as he’s leaving
And he wonders if the reason
Is the beer that’s in his belly
Or the tear that’s in his eye
Casey’s Last Ride (1970)
Well the old man was a stranger
But I’d heard his song before
Back when failure had me locked out
On the wrong side of the door
When no one stood behind me
But my shadow on the floor
And lonesome was more than a state of mind
You see the devil haunts a hungry man
If you don’t want to join him
You’ve got to beat him
I ain’t saying I beat the devil
But I drank his beer for nothing
Then I stole his song
To Beat the Devil (1970)
She would meet me in the morning
On my way down to the river
Waiting patient by the chinaberry tree
With her feet already dusty
From the pathway to the levee
And her little blue jeans rolled up to her sleeves
I’d pay her no attention
As she tagged along beside me
Trying hard to copy everything I did
But I couldn’t keep from smiling
When I’d hear somebody saying
Looky yonder there goes Jody and the Kid
Jody and the Kid (1970)
See him wasted on the sidewalk, in his jacket and his jeans
Wearin’ yesterday’s misfortunes like a smile
Once he had a future full of money, love and dreams
Which he spent like they was goin’ out of style
And he keeps right on a’changin’ for the better or the worse
Searchin’ for a shrine he’s never found
Never knowin’ if believin’ is a blessin’ or a curse
Or if the going up was worth the comin’ down
The Pilgrim - Chapter 33 (1971)
And his future feels as empty as the pockets in his pants
Because he’s never seen a single dream come true
That’s the way I’ve been feeling since the day I started falling
From the bottle to the bottom stool by stool
Learnin’ hard to live with losing you
From the Bottle to the Bottom (1971)
Lay your head upon my pillow
Hold your warm and tender body close to mine
Hear the whisper of the raindrops
Blowing soft against my window
And make believe you love me one more time
For the good times
For the Good Times (1972)
Try me, Lord
If you think there’s a way
I can try to repay
All I’ve taken from you
Maybe Lord I can show someone else
What I’ve been through myself
On my way back to you
Why Me (1973)
Kris Kristofferson died at his home in Maui on September 28 at the age of 88.
Comments