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
Out Of Mind Out Of Sight
Kris Kristofferson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Climb aboard the bus
Join your brothers in the band
If you ain't bombed in Burmingham
Then you ain't one of us
We don't really give a damn
London is a hundred miles a-waitin' where we're at
And a thousand years behind
Out of sight and out of mind
Cruisin' through the countryside we'll never see again
Ain't it lonesome out tonight?
We've been on that road now since I can't remember when
Out of mind and out of sight
Buddy tip your bottle back and climb aboard the bus
Join your brothers in the band
If you ain't bombed in Burmingham then you ain't one of us
We don't really give a damn
Yeah, I been ev'rywhere and I seen ev'rything there is
But I never saw the light
Scared to death of dyin' so I do my best to live
Out of mind and out of sight
Knowin' no one nowhere's gonna miss us when we're gone
Let's keep drinkin' 'til we're blind
Ev'rybody's sleepin' and I'm stuck inside a song
Outta sight and outta line
Someday when it's over and it's time to settle down
And we've left it all behind
We can sit and wonder how we ever got around
Out of sight and out of mind
Out of sight and out of mind
The lyrics to Kris Kristofferson's "Out of Mind, Out of Sight" describe the life of a musician on the road, traveling from one gig to the next, never staying in one place for too long. The singer is encouraging his friend to join him on the tour bus, saying that if he hasn't "bombed" in Birmingham, then he's not part of the band. The sense of camaraderie and shared experience among the band members is evident in the lyrics, as the singer talks about their travels through the countryside and the long hours on the road.
The title of the song, "Out of Mind, Out of Sight," suggests a feeling of being disconnected from reality, as though the band members are living in a sort of bubble, cut off from the rest of the world. The singer describes feeling "lonesome" and "stuck inside a song," suggesting a sense of ennui or boredom with the endless cycle of touring and playing gigs. Despite this, he also acknowledges that he's "scared to death of dyin'," and therefore tries to make the most of his time on the road.
Overall, the lyrics to "Out of Mind, Out of Sight" capture the unique lifestyle of a traveling musician, with its highs and lows, its loneliness and sense of camaraderie. The song speaks to the universal human experience of seeking connection and purpose, even in the face of transience and impermanence.
Line by Line Meaning
Buddy, tip your bottle back
Hey friend, lift your drink up and drink to this moment
Climb aboard the bus
Join the rest of the band as we travel and perform together
Join your brothers in the band
Be a part of our group and share the experiences with us
If you ain't bombed in Burmingham, then you ain't one of us
If you haven't had a difficult or challenging experience with us, you're not a true part of this group
We don't really give a damn
We don't care what others think of us
London is a hundred miles a-waitin' where we're at
The next location we're heading to, London, is 100 miles away
And a thousand years behind
However, it feels like it's far behind us and we've already traveled through so much time to get here
Splitting from a sorry gig that left us feelin' flat
We just finished a disappointing show that didn't go well and made us feel unhappy
Out of sight and out of mind
We're moving on from this negative experience and not dwelling on it anymore
Cruisin' through the countryside we'll never see again
As we travel through the landscape, we know that we'll likely never visit this area again
Ain't it lonesome out tonight?
Doesn't it feel lonely out here tonight?
We've been on that road now since I can't remember when
We've been touring and traveling so long that I can't remember when we started
Out of mind and out of sight
We're so focused on touring and performing that everything else seems to fade away and become unimportant
Yeah, I been ev'rywhere and I seen ev'rything there is
I've traveled everywhere and experienced so much in life
But I never saw the light
However, I haven't found any particular moment of enlightenment or true happiness
Scared to death of dyin' so I do my best to live
I'm afraid of dying, so I try to live my life to the fullest
Out of mind and out of sight
But sometimes, the touring lifestyle makes it difficult to truly be present and engaged with life
Knowin' no one nowhere's gonna miss us when we're gone
We know that when we're no longer around, no one will really miss or remember us
Let's keep drinkin' 'til we're blind
So let's just keep drinking until we can't see straight anymore
Ev'rybody's sleepin' and I'm stuck inside a song
Everyone else is asleep, but I'm still caught up in a song or music in my head
Outta sight and outta line
I'm feeling somewhat disconnected or out of place in this moment
Someday when it's over and it's time to settle down
Eventually, when we've finished touring and settled into a more stable lifestyle
And we've left it all behind
And we're no longer touring or traveling constantly
We can sit and wonder how we ever got around
We can reflect on how we managed to survive and function while living such a hectic lifestyle
Out of sight and out of mind
And once again, we'll be out of sight and out of mind from the rest of the world
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KRIS KRISTOFFERSON, STEPHEN BRUTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind