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
How Do You Feel
Kris Kristofferson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They've all got so many reasons for changin' your mind
And there ain't none of 'em new
But there's just so little distance between me and you I think we're two of a kind
We don't do nothing you don't want to do and I won't tell you no lies
So tell me how do you feel about foolin' around down from your head to your toes
Ain't nothin' realer than right here and now if that's as far as it goes
And it goes and it goes it goes ha-ha
Hey you'll never miss nothing we've never known you'll never know till you try
Hey we can take it or leave it alone but we got so little time
So tell me how do you feel about...
So tell me how do you feel about...
The lyrics of "How Do You Feel About Foolin' Around" by Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson portray a conversation between two people contemplating whether they should engage in a physical relationship or not. The first verse recognizes that there will be many people trying to persuade them in different directions, but ultimately it's up to them to decide. The following verse describes the closeness between the two individuals, and how they are not forcing anything upon each other - they only want to know if the other is willing to engage in physical intimacy or not. The chorus asks the other person how they feel about it, leaving the decision in their hands.
Overall, the song explores the sensuality and intimacy between two people, and how they must navigate the various factors involved in deciding to pursue a physical relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
So many people got so many lines they've all been tried and it's true
Many people have tried different ways to change your mind, but it's all been done before.
They've all got so many reasons for changin' your mind
They all have excuses for trying to persuade you to change your mind.
And there ain't none of 'em new
None of them are original.
But there's just so little distance between me and you I think we're two of a kind
We have a lot in common, and we're very close.
We don't do nothing you don't want to do and I won't tell you no lies
We only do things you are comfortable with, and I won't deceive you.
So tell me how do you feel about foolin' around down from your head to your toes
How do you feel about being intimate from head to toe?
Ain't nothin' realer than right here and now if that's as far as it goes
There's nothing more genuine than what we have right now, even if it doesn't progress any further.
And it goes and it goes it goes ha-ha
The intimacy we share will continue, and it feels great.
Hey you'll never miss nothing we've never known you'll never know till you try
You won't regret not trying something new that we haven't done before.
Hey we can take it or leave it alone but we got so little time
We can choose to explore or ignore our desires, but time is limited.
So tell me how do you feel about...
So, how do you feel about it?
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KRIS KRISTOFFERSON, MIKE UTLEY, STEPHEN BRUTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind