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Classic Songs
Revisited
Me And Bobby McGee
(with The Full Tilt Boogie Band)
written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster
produced by Paul A. Rothchild
This page is also technically a birthday tribute, though not Janis’.
I’m making this page on June 22nd, 2021, which is actually the
85th birthday of one of this song’s writers, Kris Kristofferson.
(I do have one song sung by Kris, on a compilation of songs written
by Shel Silverstein—the children’s book author—but honestly, I’m less than crazy about it, and much more partial to this song.) So Happy Birthday, KK!!
Like “Piece Of My Heart,” this Janis Joplin song was originally written for and performed by a different artist—in this case, Roger “King Of The Road” Miller. (“Piece Of My Heart” was originally sung by Erma Franklin.) “Bobby McGee” had numerous additional versions produced, by Kenny Rogers, Gordon Lightfoot, the Statler Brothers and (today’s birthday lad) Kristofferson himself. But in both cases, Janis’ versions became easily those most famous and widely successful.
Janis Joplin was from Texas, born in 1943, and a member of the notorious “27 club,” artists/singers and other celebrities who through any series of unfortunate circumstances met their ends around the tender young age of 27. Other members of the club from the music industry include Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse. (Patsy Cline made it just a few years past 27, but another victim to a fate of the same nature, Buddy Holly, reached only a lamentable 22.) While buying their respective proverbial farms through various means, Janis “smacked” herself to death—overdosing on heroin—on October 4th, 1970.
Her version of “Bobby McGee” was recorded just a few short days before her demise, and become a posthumous hit. It was alluded to very soon after the fact—the very same year, in fact, 1971—in the final verse of “American Pie” by Don McLean (“I met a girl who sang the blues...”). Janis’ fourth and final (and only posthumous) album, Pearl, dropped in January ’71. Though billed as her second solo album—after one solo record and two made with Big Brother & The Holding Company—Pearl was produced together with The Full Tilt Boogie Band. Though “Bobby McGee” shot to #1 (perhaps partially as a tribute to her life) and “Piece Of My Heart” couldn’t reach higher than #12, I don’t know anyone for whom “Piece Of My Heart”’s not the bigger song... including myself.
And... I’ll be darned, look at that: while I wouldn’t have expected and wasn’t before aware of this, “Bobby McGee” has an official music video, on Janis’ YT. Here’s the link, as well as to the official audio.
RIP Janis, 1/19/43 to 10/4/70.
Have notes to add? Let me know!
YT:
1971
Lyrics
Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waiting for a train / And I was feeling near as faded as my jeans / Bobby thumbed a diesel down just before it rained / And rode us all the way into New Orleans / I pulled my harpoon out of my dirty red bandana / I’s playing soft while Bobby sang the blues, yaah / Windshield wipers slapping time, I was holding Bobby’s hand in mine / We sang every song that driver knew / Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose / Nothing don’t mean nothing, honey, if it ain’t free, no no / And feeling good was easy, lord, when he sang the blues / You know feeling good was good enough for me / Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee / From the Kentucky coal mine to the California sun / Hey, Bobby shared the secrets of my soul / Through all kinds of weather, through everything that we done / Yeah, Bobby baby helped me forget the world / One day up near Salinas, lord, I let him slip away / He’s looking for that home, and I hope he finds it / But I’d trade all of my tomorrows for one single yesterday / To be holding Bobby’s body next to mine / Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose / Nothing, and that’s all that Bobby left me, yeah / But feeling good was easy, lord, when he sang the blues / Hey, feeling good was good enough for me, mm-hm / Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee / La da da, la da da da, la da da, la da, la da / La da da da, la da, la da, Bobby McGee, yeah / La da da da da da, la da da da da / La la la la da, Bobby McGee, yeah / La da da, la da da la da da la da da / La da da la da da la da da, hey now Bobby, lord-a Bobby McGee, yeah / Lo’, na lo’ na na, lo’ na na, lo’ na na, lo’ na na, lo’ na na, lo’ na na, lo’ na na / Hey now Bobby, lord, now Bobby McGee, yeah / Lord, I called him my lover, called him my man / I said I called him my lover just the best I can, come on / And-a Bobby, lo’, and-a Bobby McGee, yeah / Lordy, lordy, lordy, lordy, lordy, lordy, lordy, lo’ lo’ / Hey hey hey, Bobby McGee, lord / Hey, hey! / Whoo! / La da la, da la, da la, da la, da la, da la, da la / Hey hey hey, Bobby McGee, yaah
first release: Pearl (1971/01/11)
audio treated sample
This page was originally made on June 22nd, 2021 and last edited on July 27th, 2021