Top Ten 1973 Songs: Why Me (#9)

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This must seem like the “five-letter title” section of the countdown. Not intentional (I’ve already done a countdown of songs with four or fewer letters in the title), just the way the list worked out. Longer titles coming! Oh, and Linda? More country music, too, such as with today’s song. #9: Why Me - Kris Kristofferson Did you know Kris Kristofferson had a line in the film Taxi Driver and he wasn’t even IN THE MOVIE? Cybill Shepherd’s character quotes the classic line, “He’s a walking contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction” from his song “the Pilgrim, Chapter 33.” Anyway, here we have ol’ Kris, going from eschewing the Sunday-go-to-meeting thing in “Sunday Morning Coming Down” to crying for redemption in this song. That’s nothing to laugh at or make light of: a lot of people have been in that position before in their lives. The recent film Jesus Revolution is about that. And, in many cases, people who’ve had their lives change in such a way put pen to paper to write about it. Greg Laurie wrote the book Jesus Revolution, on which the movie was based. Kristofferson wrote this classic song. The story behind the song is that Kristofferson was, as many did in the immediate aftermath of the “free love” era, disillusioned. He went to a service led by Rev. Jimmie Rogers Snow (son of country legend Hank Snow [who was a huge Jimmie Rodgers fan; hence, his son’s name]) and, as they say, “got moved.” Since its release 50 years ago it’s Kristofferson’s most commercially successful song that he himself recorded. It’s been recorded a boatload of times, too, from Elvis to Josh Turner to a punk band (???), solidifying Kristofferson’s songwriting (along with “For the Good Times,” “Help Me Make It Through the Night,”and, of course, “Me and Bobbie McGee”). For you country buffs (both of you ), you can clearly hear Larry Gatlin singing backup on this song. For the rest of you, enjoy a timeless country, pop, and contemporary Christian classic. Why Me Written by Kris Kristofferson Recorded by Kris Kristofferson From Jesus Was a Capricorn, 1973 Now that I know: