Then when this we rightly know
Through the world we safely go.
Joy and woe are woven fine
A clothing for the soul to bind.
To listen to Kris Kristofferson's vast oeuvre is a confirmation of that Blakean truth. It is to realize that all those songs he has written and sung have been his way of fulfilling the words of another Romantic poet who was Blake's contemporary, John Keats. Keats called life "a vale of soul-making," meaning that people are not souls until they make themselves by developing an individual identity by doing what they were meant to do.
In Ken Burns' fascinating documentary series, Country Music, Kris answers the question of why he took such a radical turn early on and gave up his military road to success for a lowly job as a janitor in Nashville where he hoped to write songs. He said:
I love William Blake. William Blake said, 'If he who is organized by the divine for spiritual communion, refuse and bury his talent in the earth, even though he should want natural bread, shame and confusion of face will pursue him throughout life to eternity.'
When he answered this call of the spirit and took such a dramatic turn away from the conventional road to success, his mother wrote him a letter essentially disowning him ("dis-owning" - an interesting word!). When Kris showed it to Johnny Cash, Cash said, "Isn't it nice to get a letter from home?"
Not devoid of humor, Kristofferson wrote Jessie Younger, a catchy tune that no doubt concealed his pain while sharing it, an example of his extraordinary ability to use words in paradoxical ways. A close examination of so many of his lyrics leaves me aghast at his talent.
There are just a handful of songwriter/performers who can match the art of Kris Kristofferson. Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen come to mind, men whose work also contains that deep spiritual questing for home. Both have been greatly celebrated in recent years, Dylan with the Nobel Prize and Cohen with accolades after his death.
Kris Kristofferson may have been "out of sight and out of mind" in recent days, so I would like to bring him back to your attention and salute him.
Thank you, Kris. You are an inspiration. Blessings.
Encore: The Last Thing to Go
Edward Curtin is an independent writer whose work has appeared widely over many years. His website is edwardcurtin.com and his new book is Seeking Truth in a Country of Lies
(For ten years I have written and published on-line at least one article per week for free. If you like my work, please consider buying my new book to support it. Thank you.)
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