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
Shandy
Kris Kristofferson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Driving to something insane
They busted her crossing the border
Quick as a sniff of cocaine
All she could pay was attention
So all they could take was her time
Proving an ounce of possession
Ain't worth a piece of your mind.
[Chorus:]
'Cause nightmares are somebody's daydreams
Daydreams are somebody's lies
Lies ain't no harder than telling the truth
Truth is the perfect disguise
Locked in the goldhandle bathroom
Martin was changing his mind
Shedding his humble pretensions
One careful toke at a time
And wiping the mask off the man in the mirror
Who really was Billy the Kid
Smiling at somebody dying
For something that he never did
[Chorus]
As soon as he sat down beside her
Shining like Saturday night
Shandy was his for the saving
Sweet as she looked in the light
And maybe they moved from the bar to the bedroom
Maybe just stood there instead
Martin woke up wet and screaming
Dreaming of blood on the bed.
[Chorus]
Shandy is a song by Kris Kristofferson that tells the story of a young woman who finds herself in trouble with the law while crossing the border. Shandy, who is referred to as somebody's daughter, is driving to some unknown destination when she is caught by the authorities. It is suggested that she was carrying drugs, most likely cocaine, but all she could pay with was her attention. Thus, her time was taken in exchange for proving that owning a small amount of drugs is not worth the legal trouble that comes with it.
The chorus of the song conveys the idea that nightmares are what someone else may call their daydreams. Daydreams are often fueled by lies, which are no harder than telling the truth because the truth can be disguised to appear perfect. In the second part of the song, Kristofferson introduces a character named Martin, who is struggling with his identity. While locked in the bathroom holding a joint, he sheds his persona of humility one careful toke at a time, revealing his real personality as that of legendary gunslinger Billy the Kid. Martin takes pleasure in the thought of someone else dying for something he never did.
Later in the song, Martin meets Shandy and rescues her from her troubles. They may have moved to the bedroom, or maybe not, but Martin wakes up sweating and screaming, dreaming of blood on the bed. The song's story is dark, revolving around drugs, violence, and danger. However, the repetition of the chorus, which is an introspective disclosure about the human psyche, adds an interesting layer of complexity to the song's meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
Shandy was somebody's daughter
Shandy is a young woman who is the daughter of someone
Driving to something insane
She was driving recklessly and without a clear purpose
They busted her crossing the border
The authorities caught her trying to cross national borders illegally
Quick as a sniff of cocaine
They caught her very quickly, like the effect of taking a sniff of cocaine
All she could pay was attention
She had nothing to offer as collateral except her time and attention
So all they could take was her time
They took advantage of her situation and took away a lot of her time
Proving an ounce of possession
This line is incomplete and doesn't make sense in isolation
Ain't worth a piece of your mind.
It's not worth risking your mental health or peace of mind for possessing even a small amount of drugs
[Chorus:]
The chorus talks about the nature of dreams, lies, and the truth
'Cause nightmares are somebody's daydreams
Nightmares are merely the flip side of someone's positive daydreams
Daydreams are somebody's lies
Daydreams may be pleasant but are still based on falsehood
Lies ain't no harder than telling the truth
Lies are just as easy to tell as the truth
Truth is the perfect disguise
The truth can be hidden behind many layers of deception
Locked in the goldhandle bathroom
Martin is in a fancy, opulent bathroom
Martin was changing his mind
Martin is reconsidering his beliefs and values
Shedding his humble pretensions
Martin has been trying to present himself as a humble person but is now abandoning that act
One careful toke at a time
He is smoking marijuana slowly and intentionally
And wiping the mask off the man in the mirror
He is taking a closer look at himself and shedding his false persona
Who really was Billy the Kid
He identifies with the notorious Wild West outlaw Billy the Kid, seeing a similarity in their situation
Smiling at somebody dying
He is amused at the thought of someone else dying, possibly because he wants to feel superior
For something that he never did
The person dying may be paying for something that they did not actually do
[Chorus]
The chorus repeats, emphasizing its message
As soon as he sat down beside her
Martin is sitting close to Shandy
Shining like Saturday night
Shandy looks attractive, glowing in the light of a party night
Shandy was his for the saving
Martin feels like he can rescue her from her troubles
Sweet as she looked in the light
Shandy seems even more appealing under the warm light
And maybe they moved from the bar to the bedroom
They may have had sex after meeting each other at a bar
Maybe just stood there instead
Alternatively, they may not have had sex, and just stood near each other instead
Martin woke up wet and screaming
Martin has a vivid nightmare accompanied by intense physical sensations
Dreaming of blood on the bed.
The nightmare involves blood and is presumably violent and disturbing
[Chorus]
The chorus repeats one final time, closing the song with its message of truth and deceit
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KRIS KRISTOFFERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind