 Pearl (1970) [ larger cover art ] |
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Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waitin' fer a train
When I's feeling nearly faded as my jeans
Bobby thumbed a diesel down, just before it rained
And rode us all the way to New Orleans
I pulled my harpoon out of my dirty red bandana
I's playing soft while Bobby sung the blues, n-yeah
Windshield wipers slapping time I's, holding Bobby's hand in mine and
We sang every song that driver knew
Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose,
Nothing, I mean nothing honey if it ain't free, no no
Yeah feeling good was easy Lord when he sang the blues,
You know feeling good was good enough for me
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee.
From the Kentucky coal mines to the California sun
Yeah Bobby shared the secrets of my soul
Through all kinds of weather, through everything we done
Yeah Bobby baby kept me from the cold world
One day near Salinas Lord, I let him slip away
He's lookin' for that home, and I hope he finds it
But I'd trade all of my tomorrows for one single yesterday
To be holdin' Bobby's body next to mine
Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose
Nothing, and that's all that Bobby left me, yeah
But feeling good was easy Lord when he sang the blues
Hey feeling good was good enough for me, hmm-mm
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee.
La da la la la, la da la la la da la
La da da la la la Bobby McGee yeah
La da la la la, la da la la la da la
La da da la la la Bobby McGee yeah
La da la la la, la da la la la da la
La da da la la la Bobby McGee yeah
Lord I called him my lover, I called him my man
I said I called him my lover just the best I can c'mon, c'mon
Bobby now, c'mon Bobby McGee
La da la la la, la da la la la la la
Hey hey hey Bobby McGee yeah.
When I's feeling nearly faded as my jeans
Bobby thumbed a diesel down, just before it rained
And rode us all the way to New Orleans
I pulled my harpoon out of my dirty red bandana
I's playing soft while Bobby sung the blues, n-yeah
Windshield wipers slapping time I's, holding Bobby's hand in mine and
We sang every song that driver knew
Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose,
Nothing, I mean nothing honey if it ain't free, no no
Yeah feeling good was easy Lord when he sang the blues,
You know feeling good was good enough for me
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee.
From the Kentucky coal mines to the California sun
Yeah Bobby shared the secrets of my soul
Through all kinds of weather, through everything we done
Yeah Bobby baby kept me from the cold world
One day near Salinas Lord, I let him slip away
He's lookin' for that home, and I hope he finds it
But I'd trade all of my tomorrows for one single yesterday
To be holdin' Bobby's body next to mine
Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose
Nothing, and that's all that Bobby left me, yeah
But feeling good was easy Lord when he sang the blues
Hey feeling good was good enough for me, hmm-mm
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee.
La da la la la, la da la la la da la
La da da la la la Bobby McGee yeah
La da la la la, la da la la la da la
La da da la la la Bobby McGee yeah
La da la la la, la da la la la da la
La da da la la la Bobby McGee yeah
Lord I called him my lover, I called him my man
I said I called him my lover just the best I can c'mon, c'mon
Bobby now, c'mon Bobby McGee
La da la la la, la da la la la la la
Hey hey hey Bobby McGee yeah.
| mojcamojca77 (Idrija) | Posted: May 14, 2013 - 00:22 juanos wrote: "Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose". pure and utter wisdom  |
| kurtster (Back in Ohiya, for now ...) | Posted: May 11, 2013 - 19:02 hayduke2 wrote: This Lady lived a wild artist life, Mr. Rdo Kris K's life offers strong lessons as well, I loved some his appearances in Peckinpah's films (Bring me the head of Alfredo Garcia! Convoy!) for me, Kris is one Super Cool Dude and Janis's is a Life History worth checking out Sunday Morning Coming Down (IIRC) is another one of them songs of his that goes right to it as well. |
| juanos (Somewhere between the US and Guatemala) | Posted: May 11, 2013 - 19:00 "Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose". pure and utter wisdom |
| Lazarus (Bethany) | Posted: Apr 12, 2013 - 18:24 We be dancing like bow-legged gypsy muleskinners... love this cover... |
| Elroweho (Cheesehead in Paradise) | Posted: Apr 10, 2013 - 14:42 Janis - the Amy Winehouse of her time -Gone too soon! |
| daedalus | Posted: Mar 12, 2013 - 07:35 bam23 wrote: This is a really good composition, but this rendition is just a tad (?) bit overwrought. Bizarrely, I prefer the Grateful Dead's live version. Bob Weir is a major shouter, but Janis Joplin really screams too much here. I'm with you on this one. I think she casually slaughters a decent song. |
| Lazarus (Bethany) | Posted: Feb 06, 2013 - 19:24 This cover is one of the best examples of how the singer's diction is a perfect match for the lyrics of the song— Janis Joplin's voice sounds exactly like the character you would expect to express the lyrics of this song as a true experience... this really is a great song, and a brilliant cover... |
| TerryS (Another SW) | Posted: Feb 06, 2013 - 19:18 trivia: This was Janis' only #1 and I think it made it there after she died. |
| dejapete (Wisconsin) | Posted: Jan 08, 2013 - 15:08 There's a new movie in production, Janis Joplin: Get It While You Can, starring Amy Adams. Should be interesting, at least. |
| TimeWaster | Posted: Jan 08, 2013 - 14:51 rdo wrote: This is a really good song. I don't know the background. I am not sure someone deserves the kind of respect she gets just for performing though. If she didn't write it. Still, it's a great performance and artistic recording. But I have a feeling she gets kudos for the wrong reasons. Same goes for Elvis. Or Garth Brooks. Or <insert pop group here>. |
| lemmoth (NYC) | Posted: Jan 08, 2013 - 14:46 Pretty good song for a helicopter pilot and an actor.  |
| LizK (Houston, Texas) | Posted: Jan 06, 2013 - 11:02 AHHH Pearl! |
| Lazarus (Bethany) | Posted: Jan 06, 2013 - 11:00 Everybody in my church loves this cover... best song Kristofferson ever wrote... |
| coy (san antonio) | Posted: Jan 06, 2013 - 11:00 good grief |
| hayduke2 (Southampton, NY) | Posted: Dec 08, 2012 - 05:56 This Lady lived a wild artist life, Mr. Rdo Kris K's life offers strong lessons as well, I loved some his appearances in Peckinpah's films (Bring me the head of Alfredo Garcia! Convoy!) for me, Kris is one Super Cool Dude and Janis's is a Life History worth checking out |
| martinc (Ottawa Canada) | Posted: Dec 08, 2012 - 05:42 Always reminds me of my youth hitchhiking around. Great memories and even a few nightmares. But Freedom was the word. |
| rdo (DC) | Posted: Nov 17, 2012 - 18:53 This is a really good song. I don't know the background. I am not sure someone deserves the kind of respect she gets just for performing though. If she didn't write it. Still, it's a great performance and artistic recording. But I have a feeling she gets kudos for the wrong reasons. |
| werekenn | Posted: Nov 06, 2012 - 20:26 jmsmy wrote: Great song Kris.
Great record Janis I agree! |
| (former member) (hotel in Las Vegas) | Posted: Oct 06, 2012 - 11:20 Everybody in my hotel room loves this song... |
| hayduke2 (Southampton, NY) | Posted: Oct 06, 2012 - 11:18 drop what I'm doin to wrap my head in this classic, pure joy 10 |
| lshinkawa (Berkeley, CA) | Posted: Jul 04, 2012 - 00:33 Decoy wrote: Surprisingly few comments for this song. You don't even have the arbitrarily Romeotuma we be dancing comment. It's such a great classic. I guess there's not much we can say about it.  |
| jmsmy (Music Town, Klein, Texas) | Posted: Mar 30, 2012 - 17:12 Great song Kris. Great record Janis |
| MiracleDrug (Earth) | Posted: Jan 27, 2012 - 08:43 juanos wrote: ahh... what a song!... what a singer!!! what a performer!!!... oh Janis where art thou???  in a box... |
| Decoy (Milliway's, the Restaurant at the End of the Universe) | Posted: Jan 27, 2012 - 08:41 Surprisingly few comments for this song. You don't even have the arbitrarily Romeotuma we be dancing comment. |
| gemtag (Texas) | Posted: Dec 26, 2011 - 14:45 Classic |
| Proclivities (Carrboro, NC) | Posted: Sep 22, 2011 - 14:56 alanthecowboy wrote: Roger Miller, actually. KK did a cover as well... According to Wikipedia, that is, FWIW. I'm not sure if it's really a cover if you wrote the tune, but Roger did record it first. |
| MiracleDrug (Earth) | Posted: Sep 22, 2011 - 14:54  |
| saidtaybi (Maroc) | Posted: Jun 20, 2011 - 04:59 Nice Music |
| bam23 (Berkeley) | Posted: Mar 17, 2011 - 13:26 This is a really good composition, but this rendition is just a tad (?) bit overwrought. Bizarrely, I prefer the Grateful Dead's live version. Bob Weir is a major shouter, but Janis Joplin really screams too much here. |
| jools (Brighton UK) | Posted: Feb 14, 2011 - 04:41 Sublime!!!! |
| juanos (Somewhere between the US and Guatemala) | Posted: Jan 13, 2011 - 22:16 ahh... what a song!... what a singer!!! what a performer!!!... oh Janis where art thou??? |
| nalle (Malmo, Sweden) | Posted: Dec 13, 2010 - 11:21 cAPSLOCK wrote: Never really liked this one... Open your mind and enjoy life! |
| cAPSLOCK | Posted: Nov 11, 2010 - 16:09 Never really liked this one... |
| calypsus_1 | Posted: Oct 20, 2010 - 19:02 Kris Kristofferson, Roseanne Cash, John Mellencamp - Me and Bobby McGee, Live (2009) |
| alanthecowboy (Lakefield) | Posted: Sep 09, 2010 - 05:02 ubastard wrote: It IS impossible to overate this song IMO! The original by KK is just as brilliant Roger Miller, actually. KK did a cover as well... According to Wikipedia, that is, FWIW. |
| drews (London, Blighty) | Posted: Sep 09, 2010 - 05:02 That crazy keyboard ending would segue nicely into the Doors' LA Woman |
| ambrebalte (Beijing) | Posted: Sep 09, 2010 - 05:00 Such a great song! |
| sirdroseph (Yes) | Posted: Sep 09, 2010 - 04:59 a_genuine_find wrote: over rated IMHO  That's pretty funny! |
| sirdroseph (Yes) | Posted: Sep 09, 2010 - 04:58 Hmmmmm, let's see.......10!  |
| jools (Brighton UK) | Posted: Jul 07, 2010 - 07:34 Makes me weep every time... |
| calypsus_1 | Posted: May 07, 2010 - 23:46  Janis Joplin - 12Caras by ~artcova Germán Covacevich ©2009-2010 ~artcova Another one for the series, just a few more left... Right. That was a cool picture to paint. Hope you guys like it as I do. . ———————————————————————————————————— Judy Collins & Kris Kristofferson - "Me And Bobbi McGee" Live in Colorado (1989) "Great song written by Kris Kristofferson, who is a poet, an artist, an American in the best sense of the word. " "Judy duets with Kris Kristofferson, singing his song that was made famous by Janis Joplin. This clip was filmed at the Wheeler Opera House in Colorado in 1989. " |
| westslope (BC coast) | Posted: Mar 02, 2010 - 10:59 ubastard wrote: It IS impossible to overate this song IMO! The original by KK is just as brilliant Agreed. Both versions are excellent. |
| jools (Brighton UK) | Posted: Mar 02, 2010 - 10:56 Oh bliss - what poetry. "I'd trade all my tomorrows for a single yesterday". sigh! |
| calypsus_1 | Posted: Mar 01, 2010 - 23:32 Roger Miller - "Me And Bobby McGee" (1969) |
| ambrebalte (Beijing) | Posted: Jan 29, 2010 - 23:45 Volume UP and no more chair dancing |
| ubastard (Comox, BC) | Posted: Dec 29, 2009 - 13:13 It IS impossible to overate this song IMO! The original by KK is just as brilliant |
| a_genuine_find (not me, Radio P) (3rd stone, sol, orion belt, milkyway) | Posted: Dec 29, 2009 - 13:09 over rated IMHO |
| ortallcowgirl (Globe, Arizona) | Posted: Dec 29, 2009 - 13:07 Why do all the good ones die young? Damn! |
| calypsus_1 | Posted: Oct 31, 2009 - 18:57 Grateful Dead - "Me & Bobby McGee" Live in Copenhagen, Denmark (1972) |
| calypsus_1 | Posted: Oct 31, 2009 - 18:23 Jerry Lee Lewis - "Me and Bobby McGee" Live in London (1983) |