‘For the Good Times’: Bidding Farewell To Kris Kristofferson

“Well, I woke up Sunday morning 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.”

I am honestly not sure it’s possible to find a better lyric in country music than that. Pure poetry of the common man and explains exactly who this person is, who is about to take a walk on Sunday morning. My own Sunday morning did not start off on a happy note last week as I woke to the news of the passing of 88-year-old Kris Kristofferson, the silver-tongued devil and poet laureate of the Outlaw Country movement. Part of my sadness comes from the loss of such an influential artist I enjoy, but even more it’s a reminder of the ticking clock inside us and a sense of my own mortality. Kristofferson was one of the last two surviving founders of the Outlaw Country movement, arguably the greatest music genre of them all and my personal favorite.

To understand Kristofferson and his music, you need to know a bit about his history. He was an army brat born in June of 1936 in the southernmost Texas city of Brownsville, but moved several times growing up as his father moved between bases. Some of his formative years helped influence his lyrics as he attended Claremont, California’s Pomona College, majoring in literature. Aspiring to become a writer, in college he was published in several magazines including Sports Illustrated and The Atlantic Monthly. He excelled in his education enough to earn a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University, where he continued his training in literature.

After graduation, Kristofferson’s pursuit of writing took a detour as he bowed to pressure from his family and joined the army in 1960. He became a helicopter pilot, reaching the rank of captain and spent much of his time stationed in Germany. While volunteering for Vietnam, the army instead posted him at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to teach literature—a very prestigious position. However instead Kristofferson took a different path.

The 29-year-old left the army and moved to Nashville, taking a job as a janitor at Columbia Studios, angering his family, who cut off all ties with him. The Rhodes scholar, army captain and would-be literature professor was now sweeping floors for a living, but what he really wanted to do was write songs.

Kristofferson had always been interested in music, and through this journey he had used his vast knowledge of literature to influence his writing skills. He never considered himself a good singer, so he focused his attention on the words and music.

Working at Columbia, he met several artists, but the most important one was June Carter Cash, wife of legendary artist Johnny Cash. Cash agreed to listen to Kristofferson’s demo, but there is also a story that Kristofferson landed a helicopter in Cash’s yard to help motivate him to listen. When Cash did listen, what he heard changed both their lives forever. Cash went on to record several of Kristofferson’s songs, most notably “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” a song Cash said he felt he could have written himself. Cash brought Kristofferson on stage for the first time and really kickstarted his recording career.

Kristofferson never had a great deal of commercial success as a solo artist; his real value always remained his songwriting expertise. His three biggest songs were all huge hits for other artists, “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” by Johnny Cash, “Help Me Make it Through the Night,” by Sammi Smith, and the song that really made him a star and made the most money “Me and Bobby McGee,” by Janis Joplin. Joplin’s distinct voice and Kristofferson’s words were a perfect pairing. “I pulled my harpoon out of my dirty red bandana, I’s playin’ soft while Bobby sang the blues. Windshield wipers slappin’ time, I’s holdin’ Bobby’s hand in mine, We sang every song that driver knew.” Kristofferson painted a picture so vividly that you can actually see the images in your mind.

His greatest commercial success came from a song that was more gospel than country. After performing at a benefit concert, he went with other performers to the church of Jimmie Rogers Snow. Kristofferson was in a low time in his life and struggling with some demons.

The way Kristofferson told the story was when Snow asked if anyone was struggling to raise their hand. He said he had no inclination in being involved, but found his hand raised and walked down front. He had such a religious experience and felt a weight lifted that he wrote the lyrics to “Why Me?” It’s an absolutely beautiful song. “Why me Lord, What have I ever done, To deserve even one, Of the pleasures I’ve known? Tell me Lord, What did I ever do, That was worth loving You, Or the kindness You’ve shown?”

For some, Kristofferson is best known today for his acting where he made 85 movies and dozens of TV appearances. Yet, for me, he will always be known as an outlaw. The Outlaw movement was started by Willie Nelson when he left Nashville to escape what was known as the Nashville Sound or highly produced music. Nelson, an amazing songwriter himself, wanted to write and record his way and went back to Texas to do just that. What came from this was “Red Headed Stranger”— an amazing country album. Others were drawn to Nelson, and in 1985 Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and, of course, Kristofferson joined Nelson to form The Highwaymen. Sadly, Jennings died in 2002; Cash in 2003.

Other artists joined the outlaw movement, like Hank Williams Jr. and David Allan Coe. Other later artists, such as Toby Keith and Chris Stapleton ,were also influenced by outlaw country, but The Highwaymen are the true founders of the movement.

Maybe it’s coincidental that these legends are dying at the same time as country music is evolving, but I don’t think so. While Kristofferson’s passing is sorrowful, there is still some hope for the genre. There are still the legends like George Strait or Alan Jackson, who rarely get any airtime on modern stations. Luckily there is still one outlaw left, but he is 91. Who knows? Willie may live forever. Rest in peace, Kris. And as he once wrote, “Jesus, my soul’s in Your hand.”

James Finck is a professor of American history at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. He can be reached at HistoricallySpeaking1776@gmail.com.