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
The Show Goes On
Kris Kristofferson Lyrics
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That made it matter not to sell your soul
Like a banner that we held so high, we weren't afraid to fall
Steady rolling through the warning signs
That were hidden in between the lines
That kept us rocking till the break of day
Or any break at all
To try to sing up all the soul in sight
And anyone who couldn't see the light
We had to leave behind
And the sweetest thing you ever heard
Was the singing of the speckled bird
And commercial was a dirty word
We laid it on the line
[Chorus]
It was all so easy then
We could do no wrong
We'll never be the same again
But the show goes on
We used to drink about a bucket of booze
To try to chase away the black and blues
And when it came the time to pay your dues
You gave an I.O.U.
To the devil with the dirty smile
Which he added to the growing pile
Of the promises you mean to keep
The day your dreams come true
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Kris Kristofferson's "The Show Goes On" are reminiscent of the music industry in the past. The song talks about how they used to talk about rock and roll that made it important not to sell your soul, a banner they held so high that they became afraid to fall. They rolled steady through warning signs that were hidden between the lines and kept rocking till the break of day, or any break. They used to take about a day and a night to try to sing up all the soul in sight, and anyone who couldn't see the light, they had to leave behind. Commercial was a dirty word, and they laid it on the line. The sweetest music they ever heard was the singing of the speckled bird, but that era is over, and they cannot be the same.
The song's chorus expresses how it was all so easy then, and they could do no wrong, but the show goes on, and they will never be the same again. The artist explains how they used to drink about a bucket of booze to try to chase away the black and blues. When it came time to pay the dues, they gave an I.O.U. to the devil with a dirty smile, which he added to the growing pile of the promises they meant to keep the day their dreams came true. The lyrics talk about a time when music was pure, and artists had a sense of integrity. They believed in their music, and they believed in themselves. They refused to compromise their values, even if it meant they would not make it to the big leagues.
Line by Line Meaning
We used to talk about the rock and the roll
In the past, we used to discuss and celebrate the essence of rock and roll music.
That made it matter not to sell your soul
The spirit of the rock and roll genre made it unimportant to compromise one's values for success.
Like a banner that we held so high, we weren't afraid to fall
We carried the banner of rock and roll with pride and didn't fear the possibility of failure.
Steady rolling through the warning signs
We continued to persevere despite the signs cautioning against the tough road ahead.
That were hidden in between the lines
These signs were often coded, nestled beneath the surface of the visible world.
That kept us rocking till the break of day
Despite the obstacles, we kept the music going until dawn.
Or any break at all
We performed tirelessly without any breaks.
We used to take about a day and a night
In the past, we would spend extended periods singing and performing.
To try to sing up all the soul in sight
Our efforts were directed towards channeling and invoking the spirit of rock and roll in its truest form.
And anyone who couldn't see the light
Those who didn't understand the essence of rock and roll were left behind.
We had to leave behind
We had no choice but to continue moving forward without these individuals.
And the sweetest thing you ever heard
The most beautiful sound was the singing of a speckled bird.
Was the singing of the speckled bird
The most authentic expression of rock and roll was represented by this metaphorical bird.
And commercial was a dirty word
The idea of making music solely for profit was viewed as problematic and disreputable.
We laid it on the line
We truly invested ourselves in the pursuit of musical authenticity.
It was all so easy then
In the past, everything seemed so effortless, especially in regards to music-making.
We could do no wrong
We were confident in our abilities and didn't believe we could make any missteps.
We'll never be the same again
The experiences we had in the past have irrevocably changed us.
But the show goes on
Despite these changes, the music and performances continue.
We used to drink about a bucket of booze
Alcohol was a regular feature of our experiences in the past.
To try to chase away the black and blues
We used alcohol as a coping mechanism to push aside negative feelings and experiences.
And when it came the time to pay your dues
There came a time when we had to face the consequences of our actions.
You gave an I.O.U.
We promised to pay these dues but didn't have the means to do so at the time.
To the devil with the dirty smile
These dues were owed to a malevolent figure known as the devil.
Which he added to the growing pile
These dues were added to an increasing number of past debts.
Of the promises you mean to keep
We intended to repay these debts in the future.
The day your dreams come true
We hoped that when we realized our ambitions, we would be in a position to repay what we owed.
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