In coming up with a concept for the song, a scene from the film La Strada came to Kristofferson’s mind. Written by Kris Kristofferson but originally performed by Roger Miller. When Foster proposed the title, Kristofferson heard “McGee” when, in actuality, had said “McKee” (Bobby McKee was the secretary of someone who worked in the same building as Foster). The song’s title came from producer and Monument Records founder Fred Foster. Scroll down below to catch the clip of Jennings putting his spin on “Me and Bobby McGee.From the Kentucky coal mine to the California sun Yeah, Bobby shared the secrets of my soul Through all kinds of weather, through everything we done Yeah, Bobby baby kept me from the cold One day up near Salinas, Lord, I let him slip away He's lookin' for that home, and I hope he finds it But I'd trade all of my tomorrows for one single yesterday To be holdin' Bobby's body next to mine Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose Nothin', and that's all that Bobby left me Well feelin' good was easy, Lord, when he sang the blues Hey feelin' good was good enough for me, mhm Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee La da da la da da da, la da da da da da da La da da la la la la na Bobby McGee yeah La da la da la da, la na na na da La la la la la Bobby McGee yeah La da da la la la la la la la la la, la na na la na na la la Hey now Bobby lo no Bobby McGee yeah Lo la lo la la lo la la Lo la la lo la la lo la la lo la la lo la la Hey an’ a Bobby lo no Bobby McGee yeah Lord, I called him my lover, called him my man I said I called him my lover, did the best I can, come on And a Bobby no, and a Bobby McGee yeah Lo lo lo lo lo lo lo lo lo lo lo lo lo lo lo lo Hey hey hey Bobby McGee lo The entire end of the song is a pure country jam session…music to anyone’s ears! Jennings’ guitar playing and the expert musicianship displayed by his band members made their performance of “Me and Bobby McGee” something worth remembering. His voice was rich and strong, so much in fact that we’d go so far as to call it one of the best performances of his career. Old footage shows a young, clean-shaven Jennings singing the song on the set of a television show. A True ThrowbackĪlthough he didn’t release “Me and Bobby McGee” until 1973, the song had been in Jennings’ repertoire for a few years before that. He released his version of the song in March 1973, which appeared as the tenth track on his critically-acclaimed album Lonesome, On’ry and Mean. A large number of those artists are country singers, including Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and Loretta Lynn.Īnother country artist who tried his hand at “Me and Bobby McGee” was Waylon Jennings. Nearly 40 artists have recorded and released “Me and Bobby McGee” since Joplin’s recording debuted in 1971. The new renditions didn’t stop coming after Joplin’s version hit the airwaves. Some of the artists who released recordings of the song during that time were Kenny Rogers, The Statler Brothers, and Gordon Lightfoot. That version of the song was released in July 1969, and several other recordings followed before Joplin’s was released. Written by country legend Kris Kristofferson and songwriter Fred Foster, “Me and Bobby McGee” was originally recorded by country artist Roger Miller. You see, Joplin wasn’t the first artist to record “Me and Bobby McGee,” and she wasn’t the last either. That’s understandable, since the most recognizable version was recorded by rock artist Janis Joplin.īut country fans know that the song’s roots reside elsewhere. Most people know “Me and Bobby McGee” as a rock song.
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