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
Sunday Morning Coming Down
Kris Kristofferson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With no way to hold my head
That didn't hurt
And the beer I had for breakfast wasn't bad
So I had one more for dessert
Then I fumbled through my closet for my clothes
And found my cleanest dirty shirt
And I shaved my face
And combed my hair
And stumbled down the stairs
To meet the day
I'd smoked my brain the night before
With cigarettes and songs
That I've been pickin'
But I lit my first and watched a small kid
Cussin' at a can that he was kickin
Then I crossed the empty street and
Caught the sunday smell of someone fryin chicken
And it took me back to something that I'd lost somehow
Somewhere along the way
On the sunday morning sidewalk
Wishing lord that I was stoned
'Cause there's something in a sunday
That makes a body feel alone
And there's nothing short of dying
Half as lonesome as the sound
On the sleeping city sidewalk
Sunday morning coming down
In the park I saw a daddy with a laughing little girl who he was swingin
And I stopped beside the Sunday school
And listened to the song that they were singing
Then I headed back for home and somewhere far away a lonely bell was ringing
And it echoed thru the canyon like the disappearing dreams of yesterday
On the sunday morning sidewalk
Wishing lord that I was stoned
'Cause there's something in a sunday
That makes a body feel alone
And there's nothing short of dying
Half as lonesome as the sound
On the sleeping city sidewalk
Sunday morning coming down
The song "Sunday Morning Coming Down" by Kris Kristofferson tells a story of a man who wakes up on a Sunday morning after a night of drinking and smoking, feeling lost and alone in a big city. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of his morning routine, including looking for his cleanest dirty shirt and stumbling down the stairs. The smell of fried chicken brings back memories of something that he has lost along the way, and the song's melancholic tone underscores his feeling of loneliness. The second half of the song describes his encounters with children playing and singing, and the echoes of a church bell far away. Despite these interactions with other people, he still feels disconnected and longs for the numbness of being stoned.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I woke up Sunday morning
With no way to hold my head
That didn't hurt
The singer wakes up with a hangover.
And the beer I had for breakfast wasn't bad
So I had one more for dessert
Then I fumbled through my closet for my clothes
And found my cleanest dirty shirt
And I shaved my face
And combed my hair
And stumbled down the stairs
To meet the day
The singer drank beer for breakfast, put on his only clean shirt, and tried to get ready for the day despite his hangover.
I'd smoked my brain the night before
With cigarettes and songs
That I've been pickin'
But I lit my first and watched a small kid
Cussin' at a can that he was kickin
The singer describes smoking and playing music the night before, but this morning he sees a child swearing at a can, which is a stark contrast to his adult problems.
Then I crossed the empty street and
Caught the sunday smell of someone fryin chicken
And it took me back to something that I'd lost somehow
Somewhere along the way
The smell of someone cooking chicken on a Sunday reminds the artist of something lost in his past.
On the sunday morning sidewalk
Wishing lord that I was stoned
'Cause there's something in a sunday
That makes a body feel alone
And there's nothing short of dying
Half as lonesome as the sound
On the sleeping city sidewalk
Sunday morning coming down
The artist feels incredibly lonely on Sunday mornings, to the point that he wishes he was high. The quiet emptiness of the city on Sunday mornings only makes this feeling worse.
In the park I saw a daddy with a laughing little girl who he was swingin
And I stopped beside the Sunday school
And listened to the song that they were singing
The singer sees a father playing with his daughter in the park and listens to the Sunday school children singing, perhaps out of a sense of nostalgia and longing for family companionship.
Then I headed back for home and somewhere far away a lonely bell was ringing
And it echoed thru the canyon like the disappearing dreams of yesterday
As the singer walks home, he hears a bell ringing in the distance, which reminds him of the fleeting nature of life and the losses he's experienced.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KRIS KRISTOFFERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@franziskaschindler7087
Is there anyone else out there who not only thinks but actually knows that the old days were better?
@christinef2062
Yep - they were! But at the time, we didn’t appreciate them nearly enough 🥺
@liveinacountry
more than u think;)
@joycebrannen1943
70’s
@delawarepearl8489
Oh yes.
@moralez5891
no they weren't better. you have been younger
@STRZB001
I’m 3 years clean boys. Thank God and my family. I lost all my friends... but I’m a better person now.
@michaelmccarthy2498
You didn’t lose your friends you lost. Acquaintances . There is a difference. 🙃
@aaronfisher207
They weren't your friends. Keep on, keepin on!
@sandysandholzer1349
Awesome. Just don't pick up