4 Songs You Didn’t Know Kris Kristofferson Wrote for Other Artists

Where would country music be without Kris Kristofferson. Indeed, where would music, itself, be? The author of songs like “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Help Me Make It Through the Night” and many others, Kristofferson created hits for other artists (like Janis Joplin) as well has himself. Songs that have stood the test of time and will continue to.

Here below, we will dive into four such songs that the now-retired 87-year-old Brownsville, Texas-born songwriter, performer and music legend wrote. But these four tunes were ones performed and made famous not by Kristofferson, himself, first, but by other big name acts. Let’s explore.

[RELATED: The Epiphany Kris Kristofferson Had Before Writing His First No. 1 as a Solo Artist, “Why Me”]

1. “The Law Is for Protection of the People,” Bobby Bare

Written by Kris Kristofferson

Released in 1969 on Bobby Bare’s record, (Margie’s At) The Lincoln Park Inn, this song is an anti-fascism, anti-police brutality track. Using irony in the tune, written by Kris Kristofferson, Bare sings of various people who are on the fringe of society, so they are just hauled away to jail. With a deep, Johnny Cash-like voice, Bare sings Kristofferon’s lyrics, showing how silly some laws can be, crooning,

Billy Dalton staggered on the sidewalk
someone said he stumbled and he fell
Six squad cars came screamin’ to the rescue
hauled old Billy Dalton off to jail
Cause the law is for protection of the people
rules’re rules and any fool can see
We don’t need no tramps like Billy Dalton
scaring decent folks like you and me no siree

2. “Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again),” Waylon Jennings

Written by Kris Kristofferson

While this song became a hit for its author Kris Kristofferson, he wasn’t the first to release it. Yes, his old friend the country star Waylon Jennings beat Kristofferson to it by several months, releasing it on his February 1971 record, The Taker/Tulsa. It was in July of 1971 when Kristofferson released the song as part of his album, The Silver Tongued Devil and I. As the title suggests, it’s a love song about finding the one your heart wants. On it, Jennings sings,

I have seen the morning
Burning golden on the mountain in the skies
Aching with the feeling
Of the freedom of an eagle when she flies
Turning on the world
The way she smiled upon my soul as I lay dying
Healing as the colors in the sunshine
And the shadows of her eyes

3. “The Same Old Song,” Ronnie Hawkins

Written by Kris Kristofferson

Released on Ronnie Hawkins’ 1972 record, Rock and Roll Resurrection, this song, penned by Kristofferson, featured the Arkansas-born Hawkins singing about hard work. Specifically, being part of a hard-working traveling band. Cheap motels, just making enough money and enjoying the smile of a pretty gal, the song depicts the journey of trying to make it as a performer. On the song, Hawkins sings with a subtle country twang,

I was just a young man working steady in a good time band
Picking every single lick I could just to please the man
Harlan sang the lead for half and we split up the rest
Hanging on through the heavy times and hoping for the best

And I can’t recall the names of all them places that we played in
And all them squirrely party girls and pills we used to pop
Hardly ever sleepin’ in them cheap motels we stayed in
Hoping we could take it till we’d make it to the top

And them nights got a little bit brighter
And them bars got a little bit better
And the sweet just a little bit sweeter
But them blues well it’s still the same old song

4. “The Last Time,” Johnny Cash

Written by Kris Kristofferson

This song was released on country icon Johnny Cash’s 1980 record, Rockabilly Blues. Later, as was his wont, Kristofferson recorded it for his own album, the 1981 offering, To the Bone. But Cash got to it first. On the song, Cash sings of love and a relationship. Sometimes these are not as easy as we might want them to be. Love comes, love goes and what are we left with? Scars. This is the subject matter of this classic country offering from Cash (and Kristofferson). On it, Cash sings,

Darling the last time you lied, was it really the last time
Have all the tears that you’ve cried simply dried up and gone
All in the world, you can hurt anymore is my feeling
Whatever love ever was, never lasted too long
Maybe the best of our life was a beautiful dream babe
That conscience was destined to crumble like castles in sand
All there is left of our love is a little girl’s laughter
Let her keep making believing as long as she can

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