Slow down
Kris & Rita Lyrics


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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.

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!

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.

Overall Meaning

The song "Slow Down" by Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge is a poignant reminder to take things slow and live life at a comfortable pace. The lyrics are simple yet effective in their message, urging listeners to understand the things they hope to achieve in life and to do what is right for themselves. The song opens with Kristofferson invoking the listener to slow down and take time to understand the things they want to win before their journey's end. There is a palpable sense of urgency in the lyrics that highlights the fleeting nature of time and the importance of making the most of the limited time available.


Kristofferson's masterful storytelling is on full display in the two character sketches that follow, where he narrates the divergent paths taken by two people, Albert Abernathy and Little Sally Tremble. The former is a hard worker who never spent a foolish dime and left behind a legacy that was honored with the finest grave in town. In contrast, Sally Tremble is a Music City Queen who had six gold records and was married seven times. Kristofferson is drawing a contrast between the simple life of hard work and contentment versus the glitz and glamour of fame and fortune, which can lead to a more complicated existence.


Line by Line Meaning

I said slow down
Take a moment to stop and think about your life and the choices you are making.


Slow down and live, my friend
Take time to enjoy life and make the most of every moment.


Take time, take time to understand
Make an effort to understand the things in life that are important to you.


The things, the things you hope to win
Think about what you truly want out of life and work towards those goals.


Before, before your journey's end
Don't wait until it's too late to make a change in your life, start making small changes now.


Slow down, slow down and try to do
Take things slowly and try to do what's best for you.


The things, the things that's right for you
Do what's right for you, even if it's not what others want you to do.


You know, you know
You are aware that what you do has consequences, so make sure you make the right choices.


The soul, the soul
Your well-being and inner peace is important, and worth taking care of.


You save could be your own
Taking care of yourself is important, as it can prevent you from making choices that may harm you in the long run.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KRIS KRISTOFFERSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Peter Lydon

see how great the (early) 70s were? If you got a record contract, you could do just about whatever you wanted... until Corporate rock got rid of you for lack of radio airplay. ( look out! the 80s are comin'!)

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