‘Why Me’: Kris Kristofferson’s career defining number one
When news of Kris Kristofferson’s death was announced, it shook the very foundations of music. Regardless of whether you are a fan of country music and Kristofferson’s style of singing or not, he represents something much bigger than just the genre he occupied. He represented a specific musical mindset that is pivotal in the progression and development of sound, and the current musical landscape would likely look very different if not for artists like him.
Kristofferson and some of his contemporaries, like Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash, were responsible for shaping what we now consider the overriding blueprint for country music. He ushered in a brand new way for artists to express themselves, putting narrative and sweet-sounding harmony at the forefront of his songs and not being afraid to dabble in complicated themes throughout his music.
When somebody dies, we tend to look back at the body of work they leave behind and admire it, and there is a great deal to admire with Kristofferson. Tracks like ‘Me and Bobby McGee’ and ‘Help Me Make It Through The Night’ completely captivated audiences worldwide and continue to be heralded as musical greats. However, Kristofferson’s hit that would go on to define his career comes in the form of the 1972 track, ‘Why Me’.
Like many great pieces of art, the song stems from a moment of sadness. Kristofferson was going through a low point in his life, but a low point that remained profound and undefinable. He had these sad feelings, but he struggled with working out why they were such a dominating factor in his life. It wasn’t until he went to church that he could begin to shake them in a moment of divine intervention.
“Connie [Smith] took me over to church the next day to Jimmie Snow’s church,” Kristofferson recalled, “And I had a profound religious experience during the session, something that never had happened to me before. And ‘Why Me’ came out of it.”
Despite not being a religious man during his visit to church, Kristofferson found himself holding up his hand and walking down the aisle when the pastor asked if people were ready to accept Jesus. In a strange moment where he no longer felt in control of his body, he gave himself to Jesus and in doing so, felt a great deal of the sadness wash away.
“He said something to me like, ‘Are you ready to accept Jesus Christ in your life?’ And I said: ‘I don’t know’,” he recalled, “I didn’t know what I was doing there. And he put me down, said, ‘Kneel down here’. I can’t even remember what he was saying but, whatever it was, was such a release for me that I found myself weeping in public and I felt this forgiveness that I didn’t know I even needed.”
The song appealed to the country audience as they tend to be religious, so they would have been able to connect with the lyrics on the track. Additionally, even those who haven’t had a spiritual epiphany were moved by how Kristofferson articulated the event. Religious numbers tended to be driven by gospel music because of the range of harmonies and mass of voices contributing to one song felt sonically euphoric. However, the fact that Kristofferson achieved the same thing with a couple of backing singers and some of the most honest lyrics ever written showed his talent as an artist.
His way with words and hauntingly beautiful honesty are among the main aspects of his artistry that people latch onto. As such, the gorgeous nature of ‘Why Me’ is the perfect track that defines his career.
