He played an early version of the song for producer Fred Foster, who was impressed by its raw, poetic power. The song was inspired in part by Kristofferson’s own experiences on the road, as well as by his love of the Beat poets and their visions of a freer, more authentic way of life.
It was during this time that he wrote “Me and Bobby McGee,” a song about a drifter and his lover who travel across the country in search of freedom and adventure. He spent his days sweeping floors and his nights playing gigs and trying to get his songs heard. Written By a JanitorĪfter leaving the army and struggling to make ends meet in Nashville, Kristofferson landed a job as a janitor at Columbia Records. It was during this time that he began writing songs in earnest, using his experiences as a soldier and a young man in love as inspiration. Born in Texas in 1936, Kristofferson had always been drawn to music and had dreams of becoming a songwriter.Īfter earning a degree in literature from Pomona College, he joined the army and served as a helicopter pilot in Germany. The answer to that question begins with a young man named Kris Kristofferson.
