Rock And Roll Time Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

By Kris Kristofferson, Bob Neuwirth and Roger McGuinn
Do I look like a loser?
Do I stand in your way?
A threat to your future
You planned yesterday
Well, I fought for my freedom
Some called it a crime
Convicted of running
On rock and roll time

Chorus:
I said rock and roll time
Please take me away
To the whiskey and wine
Of some better day
And if sometimes it seems
I'm falling behind
Remember I'm running
On rock and roll time

I'm judged in your airports
Each time that I fly
I've been locked in your jailhouse
Oh, but I'm getting by
Just hoping that heaven
Is happy and high
And everyone's running
On rock and roll time

Chorus:
I said rock and roll time
Please take me away
To the whiskey and wine
Of some better day
And if sometimes it seems
I'm falling behind
Remember I'm running
On rock and roll time

Living Legend Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

Was it bitter then with our backs against the wall?
Were we better men than we'd ever been before?
Say, if she came again today, would you still answer to the call?
Tell the truth, my friend, don't it matter anymore?
We were simple men by her side when she was born
It was simple then like the freedom when you fall
And we were smaller then, you see, but soon we gathered like a storm.
They don't understand what that thunder meant at all.
Was he crucified? Was he done in by the lawman?
Are you satisfied that he'll never ride again?
Some people say he got away; they say he never died at all.
If that story's true, does it bother you, my friend?
Was it bitter then, with our backs against the wall?
Were we better men than we'd ever been before?
Say, if she came again today, would you still answer to the call?
Tell the truth, my friend, don't it matter anymore?

A Song I'd Like To Sing Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

(Na Na Na Na Na Na Na....)
There's a song I'd like to sing
Do you know the song I mean?
It don't always sound the same
But it's always good to sing.
Maybe it don't mean a thing
It's a pretty little tune.
It's a song I'd like to sing
And I'd love to sing with you.
And we can get to know each other
Like a sister and a brother
Like a father and a mother
Like a woman and a man
We can sing along together
Just enyoying 'til it's over
It don't need to last forever
If we want it to it can.
(Muppets: Na Na Na Na Na Na Na....)

Help Me Make It Through The Night Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

Take the ribbons from your hair
Shake it loose and let it fall
Lay it soft against you skin
Like the shadows on the wall
Come and lay here by my side
Tell the Earth upon you lied
All I'm takin' is your time
Help me make it through the night
I don't know what's right or wrong
I don't try to understand
Let the devil take tomorrow
'Cause tonight I need a drink
Yesterday's dead and gone
And tomorrow's out of sight
Yes, it saddenss me long
Help me make it through the night
Yes, it saddenss me long....
Help me make it through the night.

It Sure Was (love) Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

They said, "What do you think you would do
If she told you that she'd been untrue?"
I'd say, "I won't say I won't be sorry, no.
It sure was love while it lasted."

They said, "How will you feel deep inside
When the love you believed in has died?"
I ain't sayin' it won't hurt me
It sure was love while it lasted

I'll be livin off of the good times
That you've given me to face
I have had my share of the sunshine
I can stand a little rain.

So we don't give a damn what they say
We've go something they can't take away
'Cause whatever comes tomorrow
It sure was love while it lasted

It sure was good while it lasted
It sure was love while it lasted.

Come Sundown Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

I heard the front door closing softly,
as I wakened from my sleep;
With the last touch of her kips, Lord,
like a whisper on my cheek;
And I cursed the sun for risin',
'cause the worst, Lord, was yet to come;
'Cause this morning, she's just leavin',
but, come sundown, she'll be gone.

See the lipstick on the pillow
that I placed beneath her head;
And the soft sheets still feel warm, Lord,
where she lay upon my bed;
And it hurts to know it's over,
for the hurt, Lord, has just begun.
'Cause this morning, she's just leavin',
but, come sundown, she'll be gone.

Late Again (gettin' Over You) Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

Woke up late again this morning
Cause I was late again last night
In the mood that I was born in
And my skin was feelin' tight
I took a short cut to the city
Had myself a drink or two
I got over feeling shaky
But I'm still not over you
Chorus:
God, I might as well forget you
You ain't never comin' true
Seems like ever since I met you
I've been gettin' over you
I don't crave no conversation
I don't need no sympathy
All I want is my old lady
That old lady wantin' me
So take me any way you want me
I'll take you any way I can
I don't want your sack of candy
Just some sweetness now and then
Chorus:
I got to get myself together
With someone who wants some too
Maybe I can learn to love her
While I'm a-gettin' over you

Stagger Mountain Tragedy Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

I was born on Stagger Mountain in the sunshine and the snow
And leavin' was the first mistake I made;
But I hungered for the shadows in the valley down below
And the girl that danced the tune the devil played.
Her smile was like the blindin' light of sunshine on the snow
And the flashin' of her hair was black as sin.
And her body set the smokes of hell a-boilin' in my skull
When the fiddle of the devil made her spin.
Morning sunshine [sunshine] high on the mountain,
Where the air is pure and cold;
But there's darkness in the shadows
In the canyons of my soul.
The lantern cast a shadow like a demon on the wall
And the naked sweat was breathin' on her skin;
Then the room was spinning closer as her clothes began to fall
And the eagle started screamin' in my brain;
Then I saw the laughin' dagger and I heard the devil scream
And her bleeding heart was beating in my hand.
Then the darkness blew away and I was standin' by a tree
With a hanging rope a-danglin' from a limb.
Morning sunshine [sunshine] high on the mountain,
where the air is pure and cold;
But there's darkness in the shadows
in the canyons of my soul.

How Do You Feel (about Foolin' Around) Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

So many people got so many lines
They've all been tried and it's true
They've all got so many reasons for changin' your mind
And there ain't none of 'em knew
But there's just so little distance between me and you
I think we're two of a kind
We won't do nothin' you don't wanna do
And I won't tell you no lies

Chorus:
So tell me, how do you feel about foolin' around
Down from your head to your toes
Ain't nothin' realer than right here and now
If that's as far as it goes
And it goes-And it goes-And it goes

Hey, you'll never miss nothin' you've never known
You'll never know 'til you try
Hey, we can take it or leave it alone
But we got so little time

Chorus:
So tell me, how do you feel about foolin' around
Down from your head to your toes
Ain't nothin' realer than right here and now
If that's as far as it goes.

Give It Time To Be Tender Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

I feel the hunger you feel in your touch
Burnin' my body and soul
And it's freightnin' just wantin' somebody so much
So close to losin' control

But darlin', don't make me surrender too soon
I'm so afraid of the fall
Please give it time to be tender
And pretend that it won't hurt at all

Slowly, be gentle
Each step of the way
I've never been loved before.

Let me believe
You won't turn away
After I've opened the door

But darlin', don't make me surrender too soon
I'm so afraid of the fall
Please give it time to be tender
And pretend it won't hurt at all

Please give it time to be tender
And pretend it won't hurt at all

You Show Me Yours (and I'll Show You Mine) Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

If you're feeling salty,then I'm your tequila
If you've got the freedom I've got the time
There ain't nothing sweeter than naked emotions
So you show me yours, hon, and I'll show you mine
No ma'm I know this ain't all that you've ever been used to
You with your rings on your fingers and time on your hands
Sometimes it's nice to have somebody nice to be close to
God knows I've been there before you and I understand
Chorus.
I wish that I was the answer to all of your questions
God knows I know you wish you were the answer to mine
Darling if you ain't a thing but a change in direction
Lord don't you know you'd be somethin' I'm lucky to find
Chorus.
So you show me yours and I'll show you mine.

Why Me Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

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 lovin' you or the kindness you've shown

Lord help me, Jesus, I've wasted it so
help me Jesus I know what I am
but now that I know that I've needed you so
help me, Jesus, my soul's in your hand

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

Lord help me, Jesus, I've wasted it so
help me Jesus I know what I am
but now that I know that I've needed you so
help me, Jesus, my soul's in your hand

Lord help me, Jesus, I've wasted it so
help me Jesus I know what I am
but now that I know that I've needed you so
help me Jesus my souls in your hand
Jesus, my soul's in your hand.

Just The Other Side Of Nowhere Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

I come from just the other side of nowhere
To this big time lonesome town.
They got a lot of ice and snow here,
Half as cold as all the people I've found.
Every way I try to go here seems to bring me down.
I've seen about enough to know where I belong.
I've got a mind to see the headlights shining
On that old white line between my heart and home.
Sick of spendin' Sundays wishing they were Mondays
Sittin' in a park alone.
So give my best to anyone who's left who ever done me
Any lovin' way but wrong.
Tell 'em that the pride of just the other side o nowhere's
Goin' home.
Takin' nothin' back to show there
For these dues I've paid.
But the soul I almost sold here
And the body I've been givin' away.
Fadin' from the neon nighttime glow here,
Headin' for the light of day,
Just the other side of nowhere, goin' home.
I've got a mind to see the headlights shinin'
On that old white line between my heart and home.
Sick of spendin' Sundays wishin' they were Mondays,
Sittin' in a park alone.
So give my best to anyone who's left who ever done me
Any lovin' way but wrong.
Tell them that the pride of just the other side of nowhere's
Goin' Home.
Just the other side on nowhere, goin' home

Spooky Lady's Revenge Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

Looky here, who's in focus now
Hard and clear to the bone
No more fears that you'd notice now
Like a tear cast in stone
And she comes from a spring to a fountain
On the wings of her song
She's the king of the mountain
She's so good, Lord, and she's gone

Chorus:
Cause she's a star-see her shining
She'll go far, for a price
But she's hard in the heart like a diamond
Flashin' fire--cold as ice
Chorus:
Cause she's a star-see her shining
She'll go far, for a price
But she's hard in the heart like a diamond
Flashin' fire--cold as ice

Silver (the Hunger) Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

Silver was a rounder with a wicked reputation
Music was his magic and his madness rolled in one
It's said he charmed the fairest hearts of this world's fairest maidens

Quick as silver mercury and slippery as a song

Winding like a river through a thirsty world of strangers
Carving out a legend in a dream-forsaken land
Silver took his pleasures just as freely as he gave them
'Cause hungry eyes weren't quick enough for Silver's flashing hands
Then once upon escaping from the world of silk and shadows
Sudden growin' sicker of the secrets and the shame
He stumbled onto something real that beckoned like a candle
And never lookin' backwards, he surrendered to the flame

Chorus:
Because Hunger, is the surface, of a darkened pool of sadness
Silver pale reflection of a deeper need below
Mystery and magic are the holy forms of madness
Sacred as the ecstasy that slumbers in your soul

Silver moved instinctively within her soft defenses
Soon unfolding mysteries he'd never seen before
And wakening an ancient need, she slipped inside his senses
And Silver took it easy as the closing of a door

Then soon he touched the secret fears she'd hidden with her sorrows
Darker than her raven hair and deeper than her eyes
And dared to try to lead her to the sunlight from her shadows
Following the line between her laughter and her lies
But Silver left his magic with the legend he'd abandoned
Love had stripped him naked of illusion and it's charms
Then one long night her changing mind took kindly to a stranger
And morning found her moving in the golden stranger's arms

Chorus:
Because Hunger, is the surface, of a darkened pool of sadness
Silver pale reflection of a deeper need below
Mystery and magic are the holy forms of madness
Sacred as the ecstasy that slumbers in your soul

Silver stared in silence at the tangled scene before him
Time was burning frozen in the oceans of his eyes
And sadly turning backwards to the world that he'd forsaken
He donned the shining mantle of deception and disguise

Slowly, with the patience born of silent desperation
Silver worked his way into the darkness of her mind
Weaving through her conscience like a chance she might have taken
Sadder than the shadows of the love she'll never find

And Silver's spell was stronger than the softly smiling stranger
Whose star was burning smaller in the naked light of day
And Silver took her hand again, a wiser man, but sadder
Ready for the stranger who would steal her love away

Chorus:
Because Hunger, is the surface, of a darkened pool of sadness
Silver pale reflection of a deeper need below
Mystery and magic are the holy forms of madness
Sworn to free the ecstasy that slumbers in your soul

Same Old Song Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

I was just a young man
Working steady in a good time band
Pickin' every single little lick I could
Just to please the man
Harlan sang the lead for half
And we split up the rest
Hangin' on through the heavy times
And hopin' for the best

And I can't recall the names of all
Them places that we played in
All them squirrely party girls
And pills we used to pop
Hardly ever sleepin' in
Those cheap motels we stayed in
Hopin' we could take it 'til we'd make it to the top

Chorus:
And them nights, get a little bit brighter
And them bars just a little bit better
And the sweet, just a little bit sweeter
But them blues, well it's still the same old song

Now we're stars and shining on
Them prime time t.v. shows
Every stranger knows our name
And every little where we go
Findin' out the bottom ain't so different
>From the top
Just a few more friends that you'll be losin'
When you drop

And I've left some of my soul on
Every sweaty sheet that I could sleep on
Gettin' just as close to any body as I could
I don't regret a single bed I've laid my body down on
Ever since the first I had
The worst I had was good
Chorus:
And them nights, get a little bit brighter
And them bars just a little bit better
And the sweet, just a little bit sweeter
But them blues, well it's still the same old song

One For The Money Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

I've seen you standing there stunned in the spotlight
I've seen the sweat streak the pain on your face
Cause you're caught like a clown in a circle of strangers
Who do you screw to get out of this place
Chorus:
It's one for the money
And too far to go
Three fingers of whiskey
Just for the soul
That lady you're pleasin'
Is hungry and cold
Don't look in her eyes
You'll see what you sold
Too many bodies in too many bars
Too many feelings are fallin' behind
Cause you're easy to fool when you're lost in the stars
Shoot out that spotlight before you go blind
Chorus:
It's one for the money
And too far to go
Three fingers of whiskey
Just for the soul
That lady you're pleasin'
Is hungry and cold
Don't look in her eyes
You'll see what you sold

Rainbow Road Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

I was born a dirt poor man
All my life I've had hard working hands
But I sang my song as I carried my load
Cause I had a dream about rainbow
Rainbow road
Then one day a man came along
Heard me playing and singing my songs
He bought me clothes and paid up every debt I owed
Sent me on my way down rainbow
Rainbow road
Then one night a man with a knife
Pushed me till I had to take his life
Fast as falling all my friends were gone
That old judge traded me a sentence for a song
Now I'm living with this ball and chain
I had to wear a number before they ever heard my name
And like the dream I'm growing old
But we still sing about rainbow
Rainbow road
tag:
Rainbow road, Rainbow road
Rainbow road, Rainbow road
Rainbow road, Rainbow road

Come Sundown Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

I heard the front door closing softly,
as I wakened from my sleep;
With the last touch of her kips, Lord,
like a whisper on my cheek;
And I cursed the sun for risin',
'cause the worst, Lord, was yet to come;
'Cause this morning, she's just leavin',
but, come sundown, she'll be gone.

See the lipstick on the pillow
that I placed beneath her head;
And the soft sheets still feel warm, Lord,
where she lay upon my bed;
And it hurts to know it's over,
for the hurt, Lord, has just begun.
'Cause this morning, she's just leavin',
but, come sundown, she'll be gone.

It's All Over, All Over Again Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

I know you know I'm sorry
And you know that I feel the same
We've grown too lonesome together (Oh, yes we have)
And all that we share is the blame.
Let's take a chance while there's something to say
Oh darling, don't throw it away
We know that we've both got so much to lose
And the rest of our lifetime to pay
We could be good to each other (Yes, we could)
Better than we've ever been
Oh, darlin' we're starting all over
It's all over, all over again
I know, we could be good to each other (Yes, we could)
Better than we've ever been
Oh, darlin', we're starting all over
It's all over, all over again.
It's all over, all over again.

Little Girl Lost Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

See the little girl lost: walking through this world alone
She ain't looking for a lover, she's just looking for a home
If you want more than sympathy then look for something else
Cause she's not true to anyone, not even to herself
She'll have sixteen smiling strangers who are handing her a line
While she's drawing dirty pictures on the black side of your mind
And that body she'll let anybody hold, but the devil's got her soul
But if you take her, take her easy
Treat her gentle, she used to love me
See the little girl lost, pleading silently for help
Knowing no one understands her, she don't understand herself
She'll feed your hungry ego til you think you're quite a man
But you better count your fingers when she turns loose of your hand
Cause you're just a game she's playing any way that she can win
And you ain't about to touch her any deeper than her skin
In that body anybody can control, but the devil's got her soul
But if you take her, take her easy
Treat her gentle, she used to love me

Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down Lyrics By 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
it's the one I'm wearin'
and I shaved my face and combed my hair
and stumbled down the stairs to meet the day

I'd smoked my brain the night before
or I smoked so much the night before
with cigarettes and songs that I've been pickin'
my mouth was like an ashtray I'd been lickin'
but I lit my first and watched a small kid
cussin' at a can that he was kicking
then I crossed the empty street
and caught the Sunday smell of someone fryin' chicken
and it took me back to somethin'
that I'd lost somehow somewhere along the way

Chorus:
On the Sunday morning sidewalks
wishing Lord that I was stoned
'cause there is something in a Sunday
that makes a body feel alone
and there's nothin' short of dyin'
half as lonesome as the sound
on the sleepin' city side walks
Sunday mornin' comin' down


In the park I saw a daddy
with a laughing little girl who he was swingin'
and I stopped beside a Sunday school
and listened to the song that they were singin'
then I headed back for home and
somewhere far away a lonely bell was ringin'
and it echoed thru the canyon like
the disappearing dreams of yesterday.

Chorus:
On the Sunday morning sidewalks
wishing Lord that I was stoned
'cause there is something in a Sunday
that makes a body feel alone
and there's nothin' short of dyin'
half as lonesome as the sound
on the sleepin' city side walks
Sunday mornin' comin' down.

Shandy (the Perfect Disguise) Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

Shandy was somebody's daughter
Driving to something insane
They busted her crossing the border
Quick as a sniff of cocaine
All she could pay was attention
So all they could take was her time
Proving an ounce of possession
Ain't worth a piece of your mind.
Chorus:
'Cause nightmares are somebody's daydreams
Daydreams are somebody's lies.
Lies ain't no harder than telling the truth.
Truth is the perfect disguise
Locked in the goldhandle bathroom
Martin was changing his mind
Shedding his humble pretensions
One careful toke at a time
And wiping the mask off the man in the mirror
Who really was Billy the Kid
Smiling at somebody dying
For something that he never did
Chorus:
'Cause nightmares are somebody's daydreams
Daydreams are somebody's lies.
Lies ain't no harder than telling the truth.
Truth is the perfect disguise
As soon as he sat down beside her
Shining like Saturday night
Shandy was his for the saving
Sweet as she looked in the light
And maybe they moved from the bar to the bedroom
Maybe just stood there instead
Martin woke up wet and screaming
Dreaming of blood on the bed.
Chorus:
'Cause nightmares are somebody's daydreams
Daydreams are somebody's lies.
Lies ain't no harder than telling the truth.
Truth is the perfect disguise

Slow Down Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

Chorus:
I said slow down--
Slow down and live, my friend
Take time--take time to understand
The things--the things you hope to win
Before--before your journey's end
Slow down--slow down and try to do
The things--the things that's right for you
You know--you know
The soul--the soul
You save could be your own
Albert Abernathy never spent a foolish dime
Rising at the crack of dawn and working overtime
You know, he never told me how much happiness he found
Yesterday we laid him in the finest grave in town.
Chorus:
I said slow down--
Slow down and live, my friend
Take time--take time to understand
The things--the things you hope to win
Before--before your journey's end.
Slow down--slow down and try to do
The things--the things that's right for you
You know--you know
The soul--the soul
You save could be your own.
Little Sally Tremble is a Music City Queen
You can see her picture now on every magazine
Sally's come a long way from the life she left behind
She's had six gold records and been married seven times!
Chorus:
I said slow down--slow down and live my friend
Take time--take time to understand
The things--the things you hope to win
Before--before your journey's end
Slow down--slow down and try to do
The things--the things that's right for you
You know--you know
The soul--the soul
You save could be your own.

Forever In Your Love Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

Lovers make believe in dreams
Dreamers make believe in makin' love to last forever
Losers can't believe in anything at all
Hey-we never meant to fall so hard
But don't be sorry
Chorus:
Think of all the love we made us
Since you used to be afraid of
Staring at those starry skies above our lives
And now you're free to
Be the best that you can be now
>From here to eternity and I'll be here
Forever in your love
Nothing ever stays the same
Sometimes lovers even learn to change
And turn to strangers
If we never see a single dream come true
Hey, I still believe in you and me and I'm not sorry.
Chorus:
Think of all the love we made us
Since you used to be afraid of
Staring at those starry skies above our lives
And now you're free to
Be the best that you can be now
>From here to eternity and I'll be here
Forever in your love
Be the best that you can be now
>From here to eternity and I'll be here
Forever in your love.

Kiss The World Goodbye Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

I never had no regrets, boys;
Not for nothing I've done.
I owed the devil some debts, boys,
Paid them all up but one.
And I don't even regret the living
That I'll be leaving behind.
I've gotten weary of searching
For something I couldn't find.
I'm going down to the shade
By the river one more time,
And feel the breeze on my face before I die.
I'm gonna leave whatever's left of my luck to the losers,
Then bend me down and kiss the world goodbye.
Come to lucky-in-lovin'
I never had no complaints.
They never said I was evil,
But then, I wasn't no saint.
I'm just a river that rolled forever
And never got to the sea.
I ain't blaming nobody;
I had it coming to me.
I'm going down to the shade
By the river one more time,
And feel the breeze on my face before I die.
I'm gonna leave whatever's left
Of my luck to the losers,
Then bend me down, and kiss the world goodbye.

Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

Kristofferson
This could be our last goodnight together
We may never pass this way again
Just let me enjoy 'till its over
Or forever
Please don't tell me how the story ends
See the way our shadows come together
Softer than your fingers on my skin
Someday this may be all
That we'll remember
Of each other
Please don't tell me how the story ends
Never's just the echo of forever
Lonesome as the love that might have been
Just let me go on loving and believing
'Till it's over
Please don't tell me how the story ends
Please don't tell me how the story ends...

Duvalier's Dream Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

Duvalier was a bitter man who cursed the morning sun
That brought a new betrayal every day.

He shunned the world of mortals and the sound of human tongues
And blessed the night that chased their sight away.
A disillusioned dreamer who would never love again
Who'd tried of it and found that it was rotten.
Prefering perfect strangers to the company of friends
Because strangers are so easily forgotten.

CHORUS:
Oh, it's hard to keep believing when you know you've been decieved.
To face a lie and dare to try again, but there's nothing like a woman
with a spell of make believe to make a new believer of a man.


Duvalier took the fickle turns of fortune in his stride
Expecting next to nothing out of life.
Till fortune found a girl who fanned a flame he thought had died
Whose burning beauty cut him like a knife.
She touched him through the senses that his mind could not control.
Then smiling stepped aside and watched him fall.
Betrayed by his own body and the hunger in his soul
Duvalier was a dreamer after all.

CHORUS
Oh, it's hard to keep believing when you know you've been decieved.
To face a lie and dare to try again, but there's nothing like a woman
with a spell of make believe to make a new believer of a man.

Billy Dee Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

Billy Dee was seventeen when he turned twenty-one
fooling with some foolish things he could've left alone
but he had to try to satisfy a thirst he couldn't name
driven towards the darkness by the devil in his veins
all around the honky tonks, searching for a sign
gettin' by on gettin' high on women, words and wine
some folks called him crazy, Lord, and others called him free
but we just called us lucky for the love of Billy Dee

Busy goin' his own way and speakin' his own words
facin' and forgettin' every warnin' that he heard
makin' friends and takin' any crazy chance he could
gettin' busted for the bad times and believin' in the good
Billy took a beatin' from a world he meant no harm
the score was written in the scars up on his arm
some felt he was payin' for the life he tried to lead
but all we felt was sorry for our good friend Billy Dee

It may be his soul was bigger than a body's oughta be
singin' songs and bringin' laughter to the likes of you and me
cause the world he saw was sadder than the one he hoped to find
but it wasn't near as lonesome as the one he left behind
yesterday they found him on the floor of his hotel
reachin' towards the needle, Lord, that drove him down to hell
some folks called it suicide, others blame the speed
but we all called it crucified when Billy Dee O.D.'d

The Sabre And The Rose Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

Feet hit the ground; feet leaving town
Quicker than a bullet or a knife
Falling ain't no fun when you're on the run
Honey we was runnin' for our life

When Stagger Lee had drunk his fill of moonlight
He turned his burnin' eyes upon my soul
"It's time, by God, to spend this night with someone else", he said.
"Squeeze a little pleasure from the gold" (love & glory, children)
We can take it easy when we're old.
He said, "We'll take us into town, lay our money down
I'll bring you to the sweetest thing that grows
Because the fairest ones in sight are bloomin' every night at a tavern
Called the Sabre and the Rose."
We swang into the saddle slick as breathing
And slapped 'em once for pleasure with the reins
The horses snorted frosty in the moonlight
Somethin' dark was singing in my veins
Older than the voices in my brain.

He said, "This place you're gonna see is where they live and breathe
And sink down a little bit deeper every day
And sometimes at night, when the wind is runnin' right,
You can hear it suckin' thirty miles away"
Then the light was crimson and I found her,
All naked and eternal and insane
Sacred as the mysteries around her like a veil
Nothin' but her prison was profane
All we had in common was our chains.
Ah-burn it down boys
Burn it to the ground, boys
Burn it on down
Feet hit the ground; feet leaving town
Quicker than a bullet or a knife
All the way she ran holdin' to my hand
Runnin' for the river and our life
Slidin' from the moonlight into shadows
Silent as the river as it flows
Swimmin' to the place they'll never find us
All we left behind us was our clothes
And the stories, children.
Sing about The Sabre and the Rose

From The Bottle To The Bottom Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

You ask me if I'm happy now
That's good as any joke I've heard
It seems that since I've seen you last
I done forgot the meaning of the words
If happiness is empty rooms
And drinkin' in the afternoon
Well I suppose I'm happy as a clam
But if it's got a thing to do
With smilin' of forgettin' you
Well I don't guess that I could say I am
Chorus:
Did you ever see a down and outer waking up alone
Without a blanket on to keep him from the dew
When the water from the weeds has soaked the paper
He's been puttin' in his shoes to keep the ground from comin' through
And his future feels as empty as the pocket in his pants
Because he's never seen a single dream come true
That's the way that I've been feelin' since the day I started falling
>From the bottle to the bottom stool by stool
Learnin' hard to live with losin' you
You wonder if I'm better off
With freedom now to do the things I choose
With all my times my own and
I got nothin' left but sleepin' time to lose
There's no one here to carry on
If I stay out the whole night long
or give a tankerous damn if I don't call
I'm livin' like I wanted to
And doin' things I wanna do
And nothin' means a thing to me at all
Chorus:
Did you ever see a down and outer waking up alone
Without a blanket on to keep him from the dew
When the water from the weeds soaked the paper
He's been puttin' in his shoes to keep the ground from comin' through
And his future feels as empty as the pocket in his pants
Because he's never seen a single dream come true
That's the way that I've been feelin' since the day I started falling
>From the bottle to the bottom stool by stool
Learnin' hard to live with losin' you

The Stranger I Love Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

I've been a simple man, and I've been insane
I've been a vagabond, and I've been a king
But I've been a better man just tryin' to please
The stranger I love
Lost in the wilderness, darker than pain
And drawn to her loneliness, just like a flame
The closer we come, the more that I lean
The stranger I love
Bad as I loved her, I ain't afraid
We'll be together, some lovin' way
I'll be her lover just as long as I can
Then when it's over, she'll need a friend
So I'll take her hand-me-downs; I'll take the blame
I'll ba a hang-around; I ain't ashamed
'Cause the longer I love her, the more I believe
The stranger I love

The Pilgrim; Chapter 33 Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

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' outa 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 goin' up was worth the comin' down--
CHORUS:
He's a poet, he's a picker--
He's a prophet, he's a pusher--
He's a pilgrim and a preacher, and a problem when he's stoned--
He's a walkin' contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction,
Takin' ev'ry wrong direction on his lonely way back home.

He has tasted good and evil in your bedrooms and your bars,
And he's traded in tomorrow for today--
Runnin' from his devils, Lord, and reachin' for the stars,
And losin' all he's loved along the way--
But if this world keeps right on turnin' for the better or the worse,
And all he ever gets is older and around--
>From the rockin' of the cradle to the rollin' of the hearse,
The goin' up was worth the comin' down--

CHORUS:
He's a poet, he's a picker--
He's a prophet, he's a pusher--
He's a pilgrim and a preacher, and a problem when he's stoned--
He's a walkin' contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction,
Takin' ev'ry wrong direction on his lonely way back home.
There's a lotta wrong directions on that lonely way back home.

Who's To Bless And Who's To Blame Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

If a cheated man's a loser
And a cheater never wins
And if beggars can't be choosers
'Til they're weak and wealthy men

And the old keep gettin' older
And the young must do the same
And it's never gettin' better
Who's to bless, and who's to blame

Chorus:
All the cards are on the table
You done laid your money down
Don't complain about your chances, boy
It's the only game in town

And the meaning doesn't matter
Nor the way you play the game
To the winner or the loser
Who's to bless, and who's to blame

Chorus:
Keep your hands above the table
And your back against the wall
Toss your chips in with your chances, boy
Let 'em lay the way they fall

Cause the moral doesn't matter
Broken rules are all the same
To the broken or the breaker
Who's to bless, and who's to blame

Nobody Wins Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

Any more it doesn't matter
Who's right or wrong
We've been injuring each other
For much too long
And it's too late to try to save
What might have been
It's over
Nobody wins

Make believin in forever
Is just a lie
And it seems a little sadder
Each time we try
'Cause it's a shame to make
The same mistakes again
And again
It's over.
Nobody wins

We've gone too far too long
Too far apart
The lovin' was easy
It's the livin' that's hard
And there's no need to stay and see
The way it ends
It's over.
Nobody wins

The Prisoner Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

I'm thanking you for opening my eyes so clear
And sweeping old illusions from my soul
But most of all for turning something simple and sincere
Into somethin' jaded and as jive as rock n' roll.
Chorus:
Ain't you always looked at lovin' like a four letter word
That I made up to make you ill at ease
I fought to free you from your castle of despair
'Til I saw the prison wall was me
See the soul who calls itself a prisoner
'Cause it's still too frightened to be free
I feel so much older now, and wiser
Ain't it sad how lonesome that can be.
Chorus:
Ain't you always looked at lovin' like a four letter word
That I made up to make you ill at ease
I fought to free you from your castle of despair
'Til I saw the prison wall was me
Chorus:
Ain't you always looked at lovin' like a four letter word
That I made up to make you ill at ease
I fought to free you from your castle of despair
'Til I saw the prison wall was me

I'm Down, But I Keep Falling Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

written by Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge
Hey, fairweather friend,
You know you can bend me
I don't wanna break
Hey, lend me a hand
Something I can lean on
'Til I'm strong enough to
Make it...
'Cause I'm lost, but I'll be lookin'
I've been hurt, but I keep on hopin'
'Cause I'm down, but I keep fallin'
Fall in love with you
Fall in love with you.
Take all you can find
Any way you want to
Easy as you can
Leave something behind
Love enough to live on
'Til I'm strong enough to stand it
On my own...
But I'll be lookin'
All alone--but I keep on hopin'
'Cause I'm down, but I keep fallin'
Fall in love with you
Fall in love with you.......

The Year 2000 Minus 25 Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

Welcome to the year 2000, minus 25
Oh say, can you smell 'er for the smoke?
God's still up there laughin'
So he's gotta be alive
Who says he can't take a dirty joke?

Power is and power does and power slips away
It's so easy to abuse.
Who'da thought them Arabs woulda bought the USA
Just to give it to the Jews?
Chorus:
Singin' crime still don't pay
Just like it used to
(Just like it used to)
And time slips away 'til you die
(Slips away 'til you die)
You know but I don't give a damn
When I choose to
(When I choose to)
And you know but it don't hurt so bad
When you're high
(When you're high)

Oh say does the future of the homesick and the brave
Even matter anymore
There ain't no more reason for them boys to run away now
Than there was the fight before
And could you tell me why the hell we tried to win back in the war
What we wasted in the last?
Might just ain't as righteous as it used to be before
When your army's out of gas

Chorus:
Singin' crime still don't pay
Just like it used to
(Just like it used to)
And time slips away 'til you die
(Slips away 'til you die)
You know but I don't give a damn
When I choose to
(When I choose to)
And you know but it don't hurt so bad
When you're high
(When you're high)

Casey's Last Ride Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

Casey joins the hollow sound of silent people walking down
The stairway to the subway in the shadows down below;
Following their footsteps through the neon-darkened corridors
Of silent desperation, never speakin' to a soul.
The poison air he's breathin' has the dirty smell of dying
'Cause it's never seen the sunshine and it's never felt the rain.
But Casey minds the arrows and ignores the fatal echoes
Of the clickin' of the turnstiles and the rattle of his chains.
"Oh!" she said, "Casey it's been so long since I've seen you!"
"Here" she said, "just a kiss to make a body smile!"
"See" she said, "I've put on new stockings just to please you!"
"Lord!" she said, "Casey can you only stay a while?"
Casey leaves the under-ground 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 any thing they can to keep from goin' home.
Standin' 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.
"Oh!" she said, "I suppose you seldom think about me,
"Now" she said, "now that you've a fam'ly of your own";
"Still" she said, "it's so blessed good to feel your body!"
"Lord!" she said" "Casey it's a shame to be alone!"

Don't Cuss The Fiddle Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

I scandalized my brother
While admittin' that he sang some pretty songs (and he did)
I'd heard that he'd been scandalizing me
And, Lord, I knew that that was wrong (and I was)
Now I'm lookin' at it over
Something cool and feelin' fool enough to see
What I had called my brother on
Now he had every right to call on me

Chorus:
Don't ever cuss that fiddle, boy
Unless you want that fiddle out of tune
That picker there in trouble, boy
Ain't nothin' but another side of you
If we ever get to heaven, boys
It ain't because we ain't done nothin' wrong
We're in this gig together
So let's settle down and steal each other's songs

I found a wounded brother
Drinkin' bitterly away the afternoon
And soon enough he turned on me
Like he'd done every face in that saloon
Well, we cussed him to the ground
And said he couldn't even steal a decent song
But soon as it was spoken
We was sad enough to wish that we were wrong

Chorus:
Don't ever cuss that fiddle, boy
Unless you want that fiddle out of tune
That picker there in trouble, boy
Ain't nothin' but another side of you
If we ever get to heaven, boys
It ain't because we ain't done nothin' wrong
We're in this gig together
So let's settle down and steal each other's songs
Tag:
I know that it sounds silly
But I think that I just stole somebody's song

Don Williams ? Williams - Hank Williams ? Harlan ?

Broken Freedom Song Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

Got a song about a soldier,
ridin' somewhere on a train
empty sleeve pinned to his shoulder
and some pills to ease the pain

Started drinkin' in El Paso,
he was drunk in San Antone,
tellin' strangers who were sleepin'
how he hated goin' home
Just a simple song of freedom,
he was never fightin' for,
no one's listenin' when you need 'em,
ain't no fun to sing that song no more.

Got a song about a sister,
waitin' somewhere by the phone,
for some man who never missed her,
ever since he come and gone

And its harder for a woman,
with a baby on the way,
that's the price of bein' human,
when you're poor enough to pay,

So she listens to the freedom,
in the silence at her door
no one's missin' till you need 'em
ain't no fun to sing that song no more

Got a song about a Savior,
lookin' lonesome and afraid,
at a city full of strangers,
and a cross He never made

And He's sadder than He's wiser,
and a longer way from home,
and He wonders why His Father,
left Him bleeding and alone.

Just a broken song of freedom,
and the closing of a door,
no one's missin' till you need 'em
ain't no fun to sing that song no more.

The Fighter Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

I seen an old fighter, tired and in trouble
Who just couldn't take anymore
Somethin' inside him kept fighting to finish
With only his feet on the floor-yeah
Lord, I know that it's worth any price you could pay
To see truth in whatever disguise
But I'd payed double for one look of pleasure
A piece of relief in his eyes.

Chorus:
Ain't that clown, laughin' like crazy
Ain't his eyes empty and deep
Don't he sound sad as a baby
When she cries out in her sleep

We measured the space between Waylon and Willie
And Willie and Waylon and me
But there wasn't nothin' like Billy Jo Shaver
What Billy Jo Shaver should be-no
When he showed up sick later all bit by a spider
And crazy to look in the eye
He put on a show that was sad as it should of been
And nobody even knew why

Chorus:
Ain't that clown laughin' like crazy
Ain't his eyes empty and deep
Don't he sound sad as a baby
When she cries out in her sleep

Under The Gun Lyrics By Kris Kristofferson

(by Kris Kristofferson and Glen Clark)
Break a man, break a promise
Break a heart, break a home
Take a long hard look at a heaven
Gone to hell under the gun
See the child, young and hungry
Growing wild, on the run
And he'll die reaching for freedom
He was born under the gun
Swollen men, blind with power
Break the rules, one by one
With their lies raising the danger
Of their games under the gun.
No more time, no more chances
No more wars will be won
In the end only the losers
Hold the land under the gun
Hold the truth like a candle
Let it shine like the sun
On the love that's left to believe in
In a world under the gun.