About The Song
Kris Kristofferson’s “Best of All Possible Worlds” is one of the icon’s previously unreleased tracks that fans get to hear on the reissue of his 1997 album, The Austin Sessions: Expanded Version.Â
Producer Fred Mollin took a special interest in the project. He aimed to take Kristofferson’s classics and give them stripped-down arrangements to bring out the rootsiness of Kristofferson’s songwriting.
“I knew in my heart that I could pull off a great under-produced production and give Kris the album he always wanted to make: one that felt like it had the uniqueness and rootsy feeling that Dylan accomplished on his early electric albums,” Mollin said in a release.
Mollin is especially proud of the two new tracks, adding that the tracks show how diverse Kristofferson’s songwriting can be.
“One is lighthearted, dry, sarcastic and one of the greatest examples of Kris’ humor and storytelling while the other is just deeply emotional and shows the true aching heart that can be felt like an arrow, from Kris to the listener.”
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Lyrics
I was runnin’ through the summer rain, try’n’ to catch that evenin’ train
And kill the old familiar pain weavin’ through my tangled brain
When I tipped my bottle back and smacked into a cop I didn’t see
That police man said, “Mister Cool, if you ain’t drunk, then you’re a
fool.”
I said, “If that’s against the law, then tell me why I never saw
A man locked in that jail of yours who wasn’t neither black or poor as
me?”
Well, that was when someone turned out the lights
And I wound up in jail to spend the night
And dream of all the wine and lonely girls
In this best of all possible worlds.
Well, I woke up next mornin’ feelin’ like my head was gone
And like my thick old tongue was lickin’ something sick and wrong
And I told that man I’d sell my soul for something wet and cold as that
old cell.
That kindly jailer grinned at me, all eaten up with sympathy
Then poured himself another beer and came and whispered in my ear,
“If booze was just a dime a bottle boy, you couldn’t even buy the smell”
I said, “I knew there was something I liked about this town.”
But it takes more than that to bring me down, down, down.
‘Cause there’s still a lot of wine and lonely girls
In this best of all possible worlds
Well, they finally came and told me they was a gonna set me free
And I’d be leavin’ town if I knew what was good for me
I said, “It’s nice to learn that ev’rybody’s so concerned about my
health.”
(They were obsessed with it)
I said, “I won’t be leavin’ no more quicker than I can
‘Cause I’ve enjoyed about as much of this as I can stand
And I don’t need this town of yours more than I never needed nothin’
else.”
‘Cause there’s still a lot of drinks that I ain’t drunk
And lots of pretty thoughts that I ain’t thunk
And lord there’s still so many lonely girls
In this best of all possible worlds.