I was reading around in Nick Hornby’s “31 Songs” and it got me thinking about how some songs get into your head while some get into your soul. Then “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”f rom Kristofferson shuffled up on my iPod reminding me that the best songs do both.
I first heard this recording in Marfa,Texas when I went down there with some good pals. We stayed at the Thunderbird where the rooms come equipped with turntables and the hotel makes its record collection available to guests. I took a few albums back to the room but l just couldn’t bring myself to listen to anything else.
Kristofferson’s voice: all reaching and gravely raspy, takes you straight down into the dark heart of “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down.” Listening to him you don’t doubt for a second that he’s been there done that more than one too many times.
Much more so then the Ray Steven’s original 1969 release or even the John Cash recording which won him the Country Music Association Song of the Year Award in 1970. And that’s saying something.
I found a bittersweet and fitting Foo Fighters and Kris Kristofferson live performance from the 2005 Johnny Cash tribute on youtube noodling around on the internet.
There’s also some footage of a Sunday Mornin’ Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash duet from the Johnny Cash Christmas Show in 1978; this comes close but doesn’t quite get to the sobering bottom-hitting place of the “Kristofferson” track; it’s a visceral thing – through and through.
And yeah, it sounds country.
Cue it up. You’ll see.
the best songs to be continued….
Chanted loudly, chanted lowly on art and other stuff 