Kris Kristofferson Trivia

1. What silver-tongued musician wrote "Me and Bobby McGee"?

From Quiz Song by Song: Me and Bobby McGee

Answer: Kris Kristofferson

Kirs Kristofferson, known for such albums as "The Silver Tongued Devil and I," shares the writing credit for this song with Fred Foster, the founder of Monument Records. Born in Brownsville, Texas, Kristofferson recorded numerous albums throughout the 1970s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s. He has also served as a member of the country supergroup the Highwaymen, which included Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson.

From Quiz 'Me And Bobby McGee' : Story Of A Song

Answer: Fred Foster

The Texas-born Kristofferson had a varied life: sports star; Rhodes Scholar; helicopter pilot; staff songwriter; actor; and singing star. He wrote too many great songs to list in a few sentences and those songs have been covered by a legion of singers. Fred Foster hailed from North Carolina and as a record producer was influential in the careers of stars such as Dolly Parton and Roy Orbison.

From Quiz Anatomy of A Song: "The Pilgrim, Chapter 33"

Answer: Jacket and jeans

'See him wasted on the sidewalk, in his jacket and his jeans, Wearin' yesterday's misfortunes like a smile' This paints a vivid picture of our main character, and, given that he's "wasted", tells us that he's been (and possibly still is) going through hard times. The album 'Silver Tongued Devil and I' was released in 1971. It became a Gold record.

From Quiz Kris Kristofferson Song Lyrics

Answer: Me and Bobby McGee

Perhaps Kristofferson's most popular tune, "Me and Bobby McGee" has been recorded by many artists. Roger Miller and Janis Joplin both had big hits with their versions.

From Quiz Me and Bobby McGee

Answer: Train

I wonder if the train they were waiting for was the "City of New Orleans"? Looking on my map, it would have gone right through there - starting in Illinois, changing cars in Memphis, then "through the Mississippi darkness rolling down to the sea".

From Quiz Lyrics to Kris Kristofferson Songs

Answer: "To Beat the Devil"

Kris wrote this song for Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, who showed him how to beat the devil.

From Quiz Kristofferson

Answer: "Epitaph: Black and Blue"

Janis sang Kris' song, "Me and Bobby McGee" and when Janis died of an overdose, Kris was so dispondent that he wrote the song "Black and Blue" because no one knew how bad off she was.

From Quiz Song by Song: Me and Bobby McGee

Answer: Roger Miller

Roger Miller, known for such songs as "King of the Road" and "Chug-a-Lug," was the first artist to record "Me and Bobby McGee" on his album "Roger Miller," which was released by Smash Records in 1969. The song hit number 12 on the U.S. country chart in 1969. Kris Kristofferson later recorded his own version in 1970 on his self-titled debut album.

From Quiz 'Me And Bobby McGee' : Story Of A Song

Answer: Roger Miller

Some say Lightfoot was the first to record it, but Miller had the greater hit, Number 12 on the Billboard charts in 1968. Lightfoot charted at number 13. Joplin took it to the top of the charts in 1971. It was to be her only number one and was recorded shortly before her untimely death. Jack Elliott also covered the song.

From Quiz Anatomy of A Song: "The Pilgrim, Chapter 33"

Answer: Like they was goin' outa style

'Once he had a future full of money, love, and dreams, Which he spent like they was goin' outa style' So our hero was once much better off. No doubt we will find out in the course of the song what brought him to this sad state. I found the wrong answers by Googling for 'Spending money like...' I was familiar with the expression 'Spending money like water', but I was particularly taken with 'Like a drunken Kennedy' (with apologies to any Kennedys taking this) and 'Like a 70s African nation' is particularly poignant.

From Quiz Kris Kristofferson Song Lyrics

Answer: Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down

"And there's nothin' short of dyin' that's half as lonesome as the sound - of a sleepin' city sidewalk and Sunday mornin' comin' down." Johnny Cash had a huge hit with this song. When he chose to sing it on his television show, ABC censors took issue with the line, "I'm wishin' Lord, that I was stoned." Cash, never one to bow to pressure, performed the song as written.

From Quiz Me and Bobby McGee

Answer: Diesel

According to mapquest.com, it's about 80 miles from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. Not a bad ride, especially in the rain. He was probably an independent trucker - even in those days, the big companies frowned on their drivers picking up hitchhikers.

From Quiz Song by Song: Me and Bobby McGee

Answer: Baton Rouge

"Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waitin' for a train And I's feelin' near as faded as my jeans Bobby thumbed a diesel down, just before it rained It rode us all the way to New Orleans." Several versions of "Me and Bobby McGree" were recorded in 1970, including one by Charley Pride on his album "Just Plain Charley" and one by Ramblin' Jack Elliott on his album "Bull Durham Sacks & Railroad Tracks." Bill Haley & His Comets also recorded "Me and Bobby McGee" on "Rock Around the Country."

From Quiz 'Me And Bobby McGee' : Story Of A Song

Answer: Kristofferson

'Kristofferson' was released in 1970. 'Jesus Was A Capricorn' and 'Border Lord' were both released in 1972, reaching Number one and Number six respectively in the US Country Charts. 'Silver Tongued Devil...' peaked at Number four in the country charts in 1970 while his first album, 'Kristofferson' reached Number ten. All reached the top 50 of the Billboard top 200.

From Quiz Anatomy of A Song: "The Pilgrim, Chapter 33"

Answer: A shrine

'And he keeps right on a'changin' for the better or the worse, Searchin' for a shrine he's never found' I see our hero as never settling for the mediocre, always looking for something better. The wrong answers were the album 'Searching for a Former Clarity' by Against Me!, the track 'Searching for Artificial Happiness' from the album Desperate Existence by 'Ashes You Leave' and the song 'Searching for a Savior' by Building 429.

From Quiz Kris Kristofferson Song Lyrics

Answer: For The Good Times

A huge hit for Ray Price.

From Quiz Me and Bobby McGee

Answer: Harpoon

I was a fairly young kid when I first heard this song. Although NOW, I know that 'harpoon' is just another word for harmonica or mouth harp, at the time I had some pretty strange mental images of whale hunting in that diesel.

From Quiz Lyrics to Kris Kristofferson Songs

Answer: Friend

This song, "Help Me Make It Through the Night", was a hit by Sammi Smith and was sung on many Willie Nelson's albums.

From Quiz Kristofferson

Answer: Army Officer

As the matter of fact, he took leave and no one could find him. He went back and got discharged from the Army, returning to Music City Row.

From Quiz Song by Song: Me and Bobby McGee

Answer: Janis Joplin

Janis Joplin died a few days after recording the song in October of 1970 for her album "Pearl." Joplin's version of the song was ranked number 148 by Rolling Stone on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time." It was released as a single with "Half Moon" on the B-side.

From Quiz Anatomy of A Song: "The Pilgrim, Chapter 33"

Answer: Professor

'He's a poet, he's a picker He's a prophet, he's a pusher He's a pilgrim and a preacher..' This shows all the sides of our hero. He's certainly not portrayed as any sort of saint! I was able to find a song called 'Professor Booty' by Beastie Boys from their album 'Check Your Head'.

From Quiz Me and Bobby McGee

Answer: I hold Bobby's hand

In Kristofferson's original, Bobby is a girl, but Janis Joplin changed Bobby's gender. I guess, back then, it just wasn't too manly for a guy to be clapping along to the music. In the new millennium, who knows what they'd be doing in that truck's cab - shooting at the cops who were chasing them, probably. Has anybody released a gangsta version of "Bobby McGee", I wonder?

From Quiz Lyrics to Kris Kristofferson Songs

Answer: "Sunday Morning Coming Down"

When Kris was a struggling musician in Nashville, newly divorced and down on his luck, everywhere he looked there was family and togetherness and this song came to mind. This song was successfully recorded by both Roy Clark and Johnny Cash.

From Quiz Kristofferson

Answer: Rita Coolidge

Neither Rita nor Kris could handle being with another performer. The marriage broke up very bitterly but they have come to terms throughout the years.

From Quiz Song by Song: Me and Bobby McGee

Answer: Kenny Rogers

This was one of the earliest recorded versions of the song. Other versions also recorded in 1969 included Roy Clark, the Stonemans, and the original performance by Roger Miller. Until 1969, Kenny Rogers and the First Edition was billed simply as the First Edition. Kenny Rogers would go on to achieve fame as a country musician and be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013.

From Quiz 'Me And Bobby McGee' : Story Of A Song

Answer: If it sounds country man that's what it is, it's a country song

'Kristofferson' (released in 1970) was re-released as 'Me and Bobby McGee' in 1988. Some have interpreted the comment (probably mistakenly) as being a critical response to Joplin's version - which, after all, is perhaps the best known of all the covers. Perhaps he was just reminding people it was not a pop song. Besides, Kristofferson had been dating Joplin shortly before her death. In 2004, 'Rolling Stone' ranked Joplin's version at number 148 of the '500 Greatest Songs of All Time'.

From Quiz Anatomy of A Song: "The Pilgrim, Chapter 33"

Answer: When he's stoned

'He's a pilgrim and a preacher, and a problem when he's stoned' Definitely no saint. In the movie "Taxi Driver" (1976), Robert de Niro, (Travis Bickle), bought 'The Silver Tongued Devil and I' album for Cybil Shepherd (Betsy) because she described him with a quote from this song.

From Quiz Me and Bobby McGee

Answer: Songs

"We sang every song that driver knew". It should take about an hour and a half to get from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. If we estimate that the average song length was three minutes, and then build in about 10 percent leeway for arguing about the lyrics and choosing the next song, it appears that the driver knew 27 songs.

From Quiz Lyrics to Kris Kristofferson Songs

Answer: "Vietnam Blues"

In the mid-80's Kris sang this song in San Diego, California and was booed off stage; the funny thing is San Diego is a Navy/Marine Corps town.

From Quiz Song by Song: Me and Bobby McGee

Answer: Gordon Lightfoot

The song, recorded on Lightfoot's album "Sit Down Young Stranger," also hit number one on the Canadian country music chart. Born in Ontario, Canada, Gordon Lightfoot is known for such songs as "Ribbon of Darkness," "Early Morning Rain," and "Steel Rail Blues."

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