Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends showcases a wide variety of Anne's favorite female vocalists. Among the album’s tracks and collaborating artists are "Snowbird" with Sarah Brightman, "You Needed Me" with Shania Twain, "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do" with Anne’s daughter Dawn Langstroth, "Danny's Song" with Martina McBride, “Another Pot O’ Tea” with Emmylou Harris, “A Little Good News” with Indigo Girls, “Cotton Jenny" with Olivia Newton-John, “Could I Have This Dance” with Amy Grant, “Daydream Believer” with Nelly Furtado, “A Love Song” with k.d. lang, “Time Don’t Run Out On Me” with the song’s writer, Carole King, and more.
In 1979, Anne and Dusty Springfield each recorded the song "I Just Fall In Love Again." Anne's version became a hit single that garnered her Canada’s Juno Award for "Single of the Year" in 1980. Anne and Dusty remained friends until Dusty’s passing in 1999, and for Anne, releasing an album with this type of sisterly theme wouldn't seem complete without Dusty's inclusion. With the blessing of the Springfield family and estate, a new version pairing Dusty's original with Anne’s newly recorded vocals is featured on the album.
Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends was produced by one of the most respected music producers in the world, Phil Ramone (Tony Bennett, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Barbra Streisand, Billy Joel), who counts 14 Grammy Awards and 32 Grammy nominations among his many honors. Together, Anne and Phil decided they would treat the songs on their own terms and not adhere rigidly to the arrangements of Anne’s classic versions. While Anne had designs on how she imagined the arrangements, she gave Phil free rein to rework the songs.
“We approached the sessions as if we were just handed these songs and told to make this record,” explains Ramone. “While arrangements were changed, there are also licks on some songs that I didn’t mess with. We stayed true to the song.”
Working with Anne for the first time, Ramone adds, was an easy task. “What I love about Anne is there are no words minced about whatever she feels,” he says. “This is not a person you have to think, ‘Will she tell me the truth?’ When we met for a few hours in Michigan before we started, we agreed we wanted to bring some daring ideas and some freshness to this album.”
“I said to Phil,” joked Anne, “The only reason I asked you was that I’m the only singer left that you haven’t worked with!”
“I’ve done duets throughout my career,” Anne says. “I did duets when I started out on (CBC Television’s) ‘Singalong Jubilee.’ I did a duets album in 1971 with Glen Campbell. Growing up I did lot of group singing at school and sang with my brothers. I’ve always loved singing harmony.”
Since releasing her debut album in 1967, Anne Murray has been honored with a spectacular number of awards. She is the proud recipient of four Grammy Awards, three American Music Awards, three Country Music Association Awards, three Canadian Country Music Association Awards and twenty-four Juno Awards. Anne has also been honored with the Legacy Award from the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (2006), the East Coast Music Association Directors' Special Achievement Award (2001), induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame (2002), and induction into the Juno Hall of Fame (1993).
Anne Murray will tour to several U.S. cities in February and March 2008 (confirmed tour dates listed below). For updates and additional information, visit Anne Murray’s official Website: www.annemurray.com
In 2011, Billboard ranked her 10th on their list of the 50 Biggest Adult Contemporary Artists Ever, and on July 1, 2017, in celebration of Canada’s 150th Anniversary, the Toronto Sun listed Anne at #1 in Canada’s Top 160 Influences that helped define Canadian culture!
Me And Bobby McGee
Anne Murray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waitin' for the train
Feelin' nearly faded as my jeans
Bobby thumbed a diesel down
Just before it rained
Rode us all the way to New Orleans
I pulled my harpoon out of my dirty red bandanna
And was playing soft
With them windshield wipers slappin' time
I was holdin' Bobby's hand in mine
We sang every song that driver knew
Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose
Nothin' ain't worth nothin' but it's free
Feelin' good was easy, Lord,
When he sang the blues
And feelin' good was good enough for me
Good enough for me and Bobby McGee
From Kentucky coal mines
To the California sun
Bobby shared the secrets of my soul
Through all kinds of weather, Lord
Through everything I done
Bobby baby kept me from the cold
Then somewhere near Salinas, Lord
I let him slip away
Lookin' for the home I hope he'll find it
And I'd trade all of my tomorrows
For one single yesterday
Holdin' Bobby's body next to mine
Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose
Nothin' left is all that Bobby left me
Feelin good was easy, Lord
When he sang the blues
And buddy, that was good enough for me
Good enough for me and Bobby McGee
The lyrics of Anne Murray's song, "Me and Bobby McGee," tell the story of a narrator and her partner, Bobby McGee, traveling through the southern United States by train. The two are destitute, with the singer specifically mentioning having worn-out jeans. They hitch a ride on a diesel train to New Orleans, and as they travel through the rain, the singer plays a harpoon while Bobby sings the blues.
The line "Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose" serves as an overarching theme throughout the song. The singer feels that she has nothing left to lose, and therefore feels free to live her life without restraint. She is content to feel good in the moment, and doesn't worry about the future.
As the song progresses, Bobby McGee becomes an even more important figure in the singer's life. He is described as sharing the "secrets of her soul," and as someone who "kept her from the cold." However, in the end, Bobby McGee leaves her near Salinas, California, to find a place he can call home. The singer would trade all of her tomorrows for one more chance to hold Bobby's body next to hers.
Overall, "Me and Bobby McGee" can be seen as a depiction of the pursuit of freedom, the importance of human connections, and the fleeting nature of happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Busted flat in Baton Rouge
Stranded and broke in Baton Rouge
Waitin' for a train
Hoping to catch a train out of there
Feelin' nearly faded as my jeans
Exhausted to the point of feeling washed out
Bobby thumbed a diesel down
Bobby hitchhiked on a diesel truck passing by
Just before it rained
Moments before the rain started pouring down
Rode us all the way to New Orleans
Gave us a ride all the way to New Orleans
I pulled my harpoon out of my dirty red bandanna
I took my harmonica out of my dirty, red bandanna
And was playing soft
Played it softly
While Bobby sang the blues
Bobby sang blues songs
With them windshield wipers slappin' time
The windshield wipers were slapping in rhythm to the music
I was holdin' Bobby's hand in mine
I was holding Bobby's hand tightly
We sang every song that driver knew
Together, we sang every song the driver knew
Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose
Freedom is only meaningful when you have nothing else to lose
Nothin' ain't worth nothin' but it's free
Things that are worthless still have value if they're given for free
Feelin' good was easy, Lord,
It was easy to feel good
When he sang the blues
When Bobby sang the blues
And feelin' good was good enough for me
Feeling good was all I needed
Good enough for me and Bobby McGee
Me and Bobby McGee were content with the simple things in life
From Kentucky coal mines
We came from the coal mines in Kentucky
To the California sun
We traveled all the way to California
Bobby shared the secrets of my soul
Bobby knew my deepest secrets
Through all kinds of weather, Lord
Through tough and unpredictable times
Through everything I done
Through everything I did
Bobby baby kept me from the cold
Bobby protected me from the cold, harsh world
Then somewhere near Salinas, Lord
Somewhere close to Salinas
I let him slip away
I lost him
Lookin' for the home I hope he'll find it
I hope he finds the place he belongs
And I'd trade all of my tomorrows
I would trade all the days ahead of me
For one single yesterday
For just one day in the past
Holdin' Bobby's body next to mine
Holding Bobby close to me
Nothin' left is all that Bobby left me
Bobby gave me nothing but memories when he left
Feelin good was easy, Lord
It was easy to feel good
When he sang the blues
When Bobby sang the blues
And buddy, that was good enough for me
That was all I needed to be content
Good enough for me and Bobby McGee
Me and Bobby McGee were happy with the simple pleasures in life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Fred L. Foster, Kris Kristofferson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robert Thompson
on Me Too
Lyrics found here are completely wrong; completely different song.