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Me and Bobby McGee
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Me and Bobby McGee
| image = Me and bobby mcgee by janis joplin US vinyl.png
| alt =
| caption = Side A of the US single
| type = single
| artist = Janis Joplin
| album = Pearl
| B-side = Half Moon
| released =
| recorded = September 5 October 1, 1970
| studio =
| genre = Blues rock, country rock
| length = 4:09 (Single version)
4:28 (LP version)
| label = Columbia
| writer = Kris Kristofferson, Fred Foster
| producer = Paul A. Rothchild
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
| misc =
}}
"'Me and Bobby McGee'" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson and originally performed by Roger Miller. Fred Foster shares the writing credit, as Kristofferson wrote the song based on a suggestion from Foster. A posthumously released version by Janis Joplin topped the U.S. singles chart in 1971, making the song the second posthumously released No. 1 single in U.S. chart history after "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding. Gordon Lightfoot released a version that reached number 1 on the Canadian country charts in 1970. Jerry Lee Lewis released a version that was number 1 on the country charts in December 1971/January 1972 as the "B" side of "Would You Take Another Chance On Me." 'Billboard' ranked Joplin's version as the No. 11 song for 1971.
History
The suggestion for the title was a cordial challenge from producer and Monument Records founder Fred Foster to Kris Kristofferson. The titular character was named for a studio secretary, Barbara "Bobbie" McKee, but Kristofferson had misheard her surname. He explained that he was trying to convey the despair of the last scene of Federico Fellinis 'La Strada' in which a broken, war-torn, inebriated man (played by Anthony Quinn) stares up from the beach at the night's stars, and breaks down sobbing.
Narrative
The song is the story of two drifters, the narrator and Bobby McGee. The pair hitch a ride from a truck driver and sing as they drive through the American South before making their way westward to California. They visit California and then part ways, with the song's narrator expressing sadness afterwards. Due to the singer's name never being mentioned and the name "Bobby" being gender-neutral (especially in America), the song has been recorded by both male and female singers with only minor differences in the lyrical content.
Recordings and notable performances
Roger Miller was the first artist to record the song (in May 1969), and it appeared at No. 12 on the U.S. country chart in 1969.Whitburn, Joel. 'Joel Whitburns Top Country Songs: 1944-2005', Billboard, Record Research Inc. Menomonee Falls, WI: 2005, p. 252 Kenny Rogers and The First Edition recorded the song in May/June 1969, and released it on their album 'Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town' in 1969. On the Canadian charts, Gordon Lightfoot's version (recorded in November 1969) hit No. 13 on the pop music chart and No. 1 on the country music chart in 1970. The song was included on the 1970 Statler Brothers album 'Bed of Rose's', but was not released as a single.
Kris Kristofferson recorded his own version of the song on his debut album 'Kristofferson' in 1970. Later that year, his version of the song appeared in Monte Hellman's psychedelic road movie 'Two-Lane Blacktop'. Kristofferson also appears briefly singing the song in the 1971 Dennis Hopper film 'The Last Movie'.
Janis Joplin recorded the song for inclusion on her 'Pearl' album only a few days before her death in October 1970. Kris Kristofferson had sung the song for her, and singer Bob Neuwirth taught it to her. Kris Kristofferson did not know she had recorded the song until after her death. The first time he heard her recording of it was the day after she died. Janis Joplin's version topped the charts to become her only number one single and in 1971, her version of this song was ranked No. 148 on 'Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Chart performance
Weekly singles charts
Roger Miller version
Gordon Lightfoot version
Janis Joplin version
Charley Pride version
Jerry Lee Lewis version
Year-end charts
Certifications
Janis Joplin's version
Selected list of recorded versions
*1969 Roger Miller - album 'Roger Miller'
*1969 Roy Clark - album 'The Everlovin' Soul of Roy Clark'
*1969 The Stonemans - album 'Dawn of the Stonemans' Age'
*1969 Kenny Rogers & The First Edition - album 'Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town'
*1970 Charley Pride - album 'Just Plain Charley'
*1970 Ramblin' Jack Elliott - album 'Bull Durham Sacks & Railroad Tracks'
*1970 The Statler Brothers - album 'Bed of Rose's'
*1970 Gordon Lightfoot - album 'Sit Down Young Stranger'
*1970 Kris Kristofferson - album 'Kristofferson', this version also appears in the film 'Two-Lane Blacktop'
*1970 Bill Haley & His Comets - album 'Rock Around the Country'
*1970 Sam The Sham - single "Me And Bobby McGee/Key To The Highway" (Atlantic #2757)
*1971 Dave Dudley - album 'Will the Real Dave Dudley Please Sing'
*1971 John Mogensen as "Carsten Levin" Danish - single, featured on the album 'John' (1973)
*1971 Janis Joplin U.S. number-one single, from the album 'Pearl'
*1971 & 1972 Jerry Lee Lewis - B-side of "Would You Take Another Chance on Me" / album 'The Killer Rocks On'
*1971 Dottie West - album 'Have You Heard...'
*1971 Grateful Dead - album 'Skull & Roses'
*1971 Loretta Lynn - album 'I Wanna Be Free'
*1971 Lalla Hansson as "Anna & mej" Swedish - album 'Upp till Ragvaldstrsk' scoring a 'Tio i Topp' hit.
*1972 Johnny Cash - album 'P sterker'
*1972 Charlie McCoy - album 'Charlie McCoy'
*1972 Jeannie C. Riley - album 'Give Myself a Party'
*1973 Waylon Jennings - album 'Lonesome, On'ry and Mean'
*1973 Chet Atkins - album 'Alone'
*1973 Thelma Houston - album 'Thelma Houston'
*1973 Olivia Newton-John - album 'Let Me Be There'
*1974 Lonnie Donegan - album 'Lonnie Donegan Meets Leinemann'
*1974 Cornelis Vreeswijk as "Jag och Bosse Lidn" Swedish - album 'Getinghonung'
*1979 Gianna Nannini as "Io e Bobby McGee" Italian - album 'California'
*1984 Joan Baez - album 'Live Europe '83' album
*1990 The Highwaymen - Live: American Outlaws
*1994 Melissa Etheridge - album 'Acoustic'
*1997 Loquillo - album 'Compaeros de viaje'
*1999 LeAnn Rimes - album 'LeAnn Rimes'
*1999 Barb Jungr - album 'Bare'
*2002 Anne Murray - album 'Country Croonin'
*2002 Jennifer Love Hewitt - album 'Bare Naked'
*2002 Waterloo & Robinson as "Ich und BobbyMcGee" German - album 'Marianne'
*2003 Jerry Jeff Walker - album 'Too Old To Change'
*2004 Pink - album 'Live in Europe'
*2005 Dolly Parton - album 'Those Were The Days'
*2005 Arlo Guthrie - album 'Live In Sydney'
*2006 Dale Ann Bradley - album 'Catch Tomorrow'
*2007 Angela Kalule - 'The Last King of Scotland' soundtrack
*2007 Caroline af Ugglas - album 'Joplin p Svenska'
*2008 Amanda Strydom - album 'kerse teen die donker'
*2010 Crystal Bowersox on 'American Idol' iTunes release of studio version from Top 11 week, and Final 2 week, of season 9
*2016 Matt Doyle - album 'Uncontrolled'
References
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