In 1985, Kristofferson joined fellow country artists Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash in forming the country music supergroup The Highwaymen, and formed a key creative force in the outlaw country music movement that eschewed the Nashville music machine in favor of independent songwriting and producing. In 2004, Kristofferson was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. As an actor, he is known for his roles in Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973), Blume in Love (1973), Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), A Star Is Born (1976) (which earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor), Convoy (1978), Heaven's Gate (1980) and Blade (1998).
Kristofferson has said that he would like the first three lines of Leonard Cohen's "Bird on the Wire" on his tombstone:
Like a bird on the wire
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free
Easter Island
Kris Kristofferson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To carve up and covet they wait there alone
Keeping the secret the rest have forgotten
And staring in silence from sockets of stone
Built and obeyed with the best of intentions
Stranger than truth and as lost and alone
Stranded like dogs in a star-spangled manger
No good to nothing not even their own
Can't see the stars in the sky
For the sun in my eye
She's like a dream that a world quit believin'
Caught in the action back to the sea
How many more might have come from that mountain?
Barely the creatures they struggled to be
Surely the death of so grand an illusion
Left us with legends too great to ignore
Stone-cut survivors of ancient dimensions
Lost in the wonder they came to explore.
Holy star light far brighter
Than the sun in your eye
Singing thy will be done
Holy-O-my God-I
Can't see the stars in the sky
For the sun in my eye
Holy star light far brighter
Than the sun in your eye
Singing thy will be done
In Kris Kristofferson's "Easter Island," the lyrics tell the story of the island's history and how its inhabitants were ultimately destroyed by their own practices. The first verse describes how the inhabitants stripped and divided the carcass of their land, carving it up and coveting it for themselves. The people of the island had forgotten their secrets and were left staring in silence from sockets of stone. The second verse highlights how the people's actions were built and obeyed with the best intentions, yet they still ended up stranded like dogs in a manger, feeling no good to anyone, not even themselves. The final verse touches on the idea that the island's demise left behind legends that have continued to inspire wonder and curiosity throughout history.
Line by Line Meaning
Guarding the carcass, we stripped and divided
We have taken over the remains of something, and are now waiting to carve it up and claim our share.
To carve up and covet they wait there alone
Those who stand guard over the remains wait alone, lusting after the spoils that will be gained by carving them up.
Keeping the secret the rest have forgotten
They maintain knowledge of a secret that the rest of the world has forgotten or ignored.
And staring in silence from sockets of stone
These guardians stand watch, silently observing from their stone sockets.
Built and obeyed with the best of intentions
This place was constructed with good intentions and followed to the letter, yet something has gone horribly wrong.
Stranger than truth and as lost and alone
This place seems more bizarre than anything anyone could make up, and whoever is there seems to be completely lost and isolated.
Stranded like dogs in a star-spangled manger
The inhabitants of this place are stranded and isolated, just like dogs left in a stable filled with stars.
No good to nothing not even their own
These people are useless to the world, and even to themselves.
Holy-O-my God-I
Can't see the stars in the sky
For the sun in my eye
The singer is so blinded by the brightness of the sun, that they cannot see the stars in the sky.
She's like a dream that a world quit believin'
Caught in the action back to the sea
This world seems like a dream that doesn't make sense, and drowned in the action that took it towards the sea.
How many more might have come from that mountain?
Barely the creatures they struggled to be
There are not many more from that mountain, only those who barely got the chance to evolve into creatures that could survive in this world.
Surely the death of so grand an illusion
Left us with legends too great to ignore
When such a grand illusion dies, the stories it inspires become too great to ever forget.
Stone-cut survivors of ancient dimensions
Lost in the wonder they came to explore.
Those who survived are simply men made of rock, struggling to survive in a world filled with wonder and exploration.
Holy star light far brighter
Than the sun in your eye
Singing thy will be done
The star light is so bright, that it makes the sun seem dim. They sing, hoping that God's will be done.
Holy star light far brighter
Than the sun in your eye
Singing thy will be done
The star light is so bright, that it makes the sun seem dim. They sing, hoping that God's will be done.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KRIS KRISTOFFERSON, MIKE UTLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind