Highwayman
Kris Kristofferson Lyrics

I was a highwayman
The singer used to rob people on traveling paths.

Along the coach roads, I did ride
The singer would travel on roads where coaches carrying people passed by.

With sword and pistol by my side
The singer carried weapons to use for his robberies.

Many a young maid lost her baubles to my trade
The artist would often rob young women of their jewelry.

Many a soldier shed his lifeblood on my blade
The artist has also killed soldiers who have fought against him.

The bastards hung me in the spring of twenty-five
The singer was caught and sentenced to death by hanging in the year 1825.

But I am still alive
Despite being executed, the singer still lives on in spirit or memory.

I was a sailor
The artist used to work on boats as a sailor.

I was born upon the tide
The artist was born while his parents were on the water.

And with the sea, I did abide
The artist spent much of his life on or near the ocean.

I sailed a schooner round the Horn to Mexico
The singer piloted a small sailing ship around the southern tip of South America to reach Mexico.

I went aloft and furled the mainsail in a blow
The artist climbed up the mast of the ship to secure a sail during a strong storm.

And when the yards broke off they said that I got killed
Others believed the singer had died when the ship's yardarms broke off during the storm.

But I am living still
Despite what others thought had happened, the singer is still alive in some form.

I was a dam builder
The singer used to work building dams.

Across the river deep and wide
The artist worked on a dam that spanned a large river.

Where steel and water did collide
Steel was used to reinforce the dam structure where it met the water's force.

A place called Boulder on the wild Colorado
The singer worked on a dam near the city of Boulder on the Colorado River.

I slipped and fell into the wet concrete below
The singer fell into wet concrete during construction and was buried in the structure.

They buried me in that great tomb that knows no sound
The artist was entombed in the dam structure, which is usually quiet as water flows through it.

But I am still around
Despite being buried, the artist still exists in some way.

I fly a starship
The artist now pilots a spaceship or some other futuristic craft.

Across the Universe divide
The singer travels across great distances in space.

And when I reach the other side
The artist looks forward to finding a resting place on another planet or in another realm.

I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can
The singer hopes to find a peaceful place to dwell once his travels are complete.

Perhaps I may become a highwayman again
The singer is nostalgic for his past and may consider returning to his former activities.

Or I may simply be a single drop of rain
The singer may just become a small, insignificant part of nature once his travels are over.

But I will remain
Regardless of what the future holds, the artist knows he will continue to exist somehow.

I'll be back again and again and again and again and again and again
The artist will continue to return, either in spirit or memory, again and again.