View source for Me and Bobby McGee

{{short description|Song by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster}}
{{for|the album entitled ''Me and Bobby McGee''|Kristofferson (album)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{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 (Janis Joplin album)|Pearl]]
| B-side     = Half Moon
| released   = {{Start date|1971|01|12}}
| recorded   = September 5 – October 1, 1970
| studio     =
| genre      = 
*[[Blues rock]]
*[[country rock]]
| length     = 4:09 (single version)<br />4:28 (album version)
| label      = [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]
| writer     = 
*[[Kris Kristofferson]]
*[[Fred Foster]]
| producer   = [[Paul A. Rothchild]]
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| next_title =
| next_year  = 
| misc       = {{External music video|{{YouTube|5Cg-j0X09Ag|"Me and Bobby McGee"}}}}
}}

"'''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.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kristofferson |first1=Kristoffer |title=Ralph Emery Show |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09d9d0ipNK0&t=1458 |website=Youtube |date=March 17, 2019 |access-date=11 September 2020}}</ref> A posthumously released version by [[Janis Joplin]] topped the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] 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]] had previously 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 [[Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1971|No. 11 song for 1971]].

In 2002, the 1971 version of the song by [[Janis Joplin]] on [[Columbia Records]] was inducted into the [[Grammy Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/awards/hall-of-fame-award#m|title=GRAMMY Hall Of Fame &#124; Hall of Fame Artists |website=Grammy.com|access-date=September 30, 2024}}</ref>

==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 Fellini]]'s ''[[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.<ref>{{cite web |last=Campbell |first=Courtney |title='Me and Bobby McGee': The Story Behind the Song |url=https://www.wideopencountry.com/me-and-bobby-mcgee-story-behind-the-song/ |website=Wide Open Country|access-date=September 23, 2019}}</ref>

==Narrative==
The song is the story of two drifters, the narrator and Bobby McGee. The pair [[Hitchhiking|hitch a ride]] from a truck driver and sing as they drive through the [[American South]] before making their way westward.  They visit [[California]] and then part ways somewhere near [[Salinas, California|Salinas]], 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 the US), the song has been recorded by both male and female singers as a heterosexual love song 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.<ref>Whitburn, Joel. ''Joel Whitburn’s Top Country Songs: 1944-2005'', Billboard, Record Research Inc. Menomonee Falls, WI: 2005, p. 252</ref> [[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 (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 [[The Statler Brothers|Statler Brothers']] album ''[[Bed of Rose's (album)|Bed of Rose's]]'', but was not released as a single.

Kristofferson recorded his own version of the song on his debut album ''[[Kristofferson (album)|Kristofferson]]'' in 1970. Later that year, his version of the song appeared in [[Monte Hellman]]'s [[psychedelic film|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 (Janis Joplin album)|Pearl]]'' album only a few days before her death in October 1970.  Singer [[Bob Neuwirth]] taught it to her while Kristofferson was in Peru filming ''The Last Movie'' with Dennis Hopper.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://musicbrainz.org/recording/e9e604f3-19c7-48f9-9335-f98c83af9bca|title=KK on "Me and Bobby McGee"|website=Musicbrainz.org|access-date=September 30, 2024}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Hawke |first=Ethan |author-link=Ethan Hawke |title=The Last Outlaw Poet |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |issue=1076 |page=57 |date=April 16, 2009 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/27113898/the_last_outlaw_poet |access-date=April 10, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410055914/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/27113898/the_last_outlaw_poet |archive-date=April 10, 2009}}</ref> ''[[Record World]]'' called it a "perfect matching of performer and material."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Single Product|magazine=Record World|date=January 23, 1971|page=236|access-date=2023-04-14|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/71/RW-1971-01-23.pdf}}</ref> Joplin's version topped the charts to become her only number one single; her version was later ranked No. 148 on ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s 2004 list of ''[[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]''.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last= |first= |date=2003-12-11 |title=500 Greatest Songs of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-151127/ |access-date=2024-06-04 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[Pink (singer)|Pink]] performed a cover of the song on January 30, 2025 at [[Kia Forum]] in [[Inglewood, California]] for [[FireAid]] to help with relief efforts for the [[January 2025 Southern California wildfires]].

The [[Grateful Dead]] included this song in many of their live performances, with [[Bob Weir]] on the vocals.

==Chart performance==
===Weekly singles charts===
===Roger Miller version===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!align="left"|Chart (1969)
! style="text-align:center;"|Peak<br />position
|-
|align="left"|U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles<ref>{{cite book |title=The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=232}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|12
|-
|U.S. ''Billboard'' Bubbling Under Hot 100<ref>Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100 1959-2004</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|22
|-
|align="left"|Canadian ''RPM'' Country Tracks<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.6068.pdf| title=RPM Top 30 Country Singles - October 25, 1969|website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|3
|}

===Gordon Lightfoot version===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Chart (1970)
!Peak<br />position
|-
|Canada ''RPM'' Country Tracks<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.4028.pdf| title=RPM Top 50 Country Singles - September 19, 1970|website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
|Canada ''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'' Top Singles<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.3805.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - September 19, 1970|website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|13
|-
|South Africa ([[Springbok Radio|Springbok]])<ref>{{cite web|title=SA Charts 1965–March 1989|url=http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(L).html|date=13 August 1971|access-date=12 January 2020}}</ref>
|align="center"|7
|-
|}

===Janis Joplin version===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!align="left"|Chart (1971)
!align="left"|Peak<br />position
|-
|align="left"|Australia [[Kent Music Report|KMR]]<ref name="Kent">{{cite book |last=Kent |first=David |author-link=David Kent (historian) |title=[[Kent Music Report|Australian Chart Book 1970-1992]] |publisher=Australian Chart Book |location=St Ives, N.S.W., Australia |year=1993 |isbn=0-646-11917-6}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
|align="left"|Canada [[RPM (magazine)|''RPM'']]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.5202.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - March 27, 1971|website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|6
|-
|align="left"|New Zealand<ref>{{cite web |title=flavour of new zealand - search listener |url=http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20listener&qartistid=1374#n_view_location |website=Flavourofnz.co.nz |access-date=October 2, 2016 |archive-date=February 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203151411/http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20listener&qartistid=1374#n_view_location |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|10
|-
|align="left"|U.S. ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]]<ref>''Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990'' - {{ISBN|0-89820-089-X}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
|align="left"|U.S. ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box]]'' Top 100<ref>{{cite web |title=Cash Box Top 100 Singles |url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/19710327.html |access-date=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|3
|}

===Charley Pride version===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!align="left"|Chart (1971)
!align="left"|Peak<br />position
|-
|align="left"|Australia [[Kent Music Report|KMR]]<ref name="Kent"/>
| style="text-align:center;"|36
|-
|}

===Jerry Lee Lewis version===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Chart (1971–72)
!Peak<br />position
|-
|Canada ''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'' Top Singles<ref>{{cite web |title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada |url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.5302&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.5302.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.5302 |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |date=1972-01-22 |access-date=2020-01-12}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|50
|-
|U.S. ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]]<ref>''Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990'' - {{ISBN|0-89820-089-X}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|40
|-
|U.S. ''Billboard'' [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Easy Listening]]
| style="text-align:center;"|39
|-
|U.S. [[Cash Box (magazine)|''Cash Box'']] Top 100<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/19720115.html|title=Cash Box Top 100 Singles, January 15, 1972|website=Cashboxmagazine.com|access-date=September 30, 2024}}</ref>
|align="center"|63
|-
|U.S. ''Billboard'' [[Country music|Country]]<ref>''Joel Whitburn's Top Country Singles 1944-1988''</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
|-
|}
{{col-2}}

====Year-end charts====
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!align="left"|Chart (1971)
! style="text-align:center;"|Rank
|-
|Australia<ref>{{cite web |title=Australian Chart Book |url=http://www.austchartbook.com.au/ |website=Austchartbook.com.au |access-date=October 2, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305064644/http://www.austchartbook.com.au/ |archive-date=March 5, 2016}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|17
|-
|Canada<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.7590.pdf| title=RPM Top Singles of '71 - January 8, 1972|website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|79
|-
|U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1971.htm |title=Top 100 Hits of 1971/Top 100 Songs of 1971 |website=Musicoutfitters.com |access-date=October 2, 2016}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|11
|-
|U.S. ''Cash Box''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/1971YESP.html |title=Top 100 Year End Charts: 1971 |work=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox Magazine]] |access-date=May 30, 2016 }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|29
|}
{{col-end}}

==Certifications==
===Janis Joplin's version===
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry |region=United States |type=single |artist=Janis Joplin |title=Me and Bobby McGee |award=Platinum |relyear=1969 |certyear=2021 |certmonth=01 |certday=08 |access-date=January 8, 2021}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|noshipments=true|nosales=true|streaming=true}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://archive.today/20110708122437/http://www.cartoonbank.com/1991/freedoms-just-another-word-for-nothin-left-to-lose-judge/invt/111321/ ''New Yorker'' cartoon quoting the song]
* [http://www.secondhandsongs.com/song/29796 A SecondHandSongs list of selected artists who covered "Me and Bobby McGee"]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJr3Fkv81bU FILM:ACOUSTIC - Kris Kristofferson performs "Me and Bobby McGee" and relates ''La Strada''] by [http://www.modernschooloffilm.com/ The Modern School of Film] at [https://web.archive.org/web/20140505182011/https://www.arclightcinemas.com/en/news/arcp-msf ArcLight Presents...]
*[http://www.historybyday.com/pop-culture/the-epic-story-behind-janis-joplin-and-me-and-bobby-mcgee/?view-all The Epic Story Behind Janis Joplin's "Me and Bobby McGee"] at History by Day
* {{YouTube|-ggFIeg5u1M|Janis Joplin - Me and Bobby McGee}}

{{Kris Kristofferson}}
{{Roger Miller}}
{{Charley Pride singles}}
{{Bill Haley & His Comets}}
{{Janis Joplin}}
{{Jerry Lee Lewis}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1969 songs]]
[[Category:1969 singles]]
[[Category:1970 singles]]
[[Category:1971 singles]]
[[Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles]]
[[Category:Taylor Horn songs]]
[[Category:Janis Joplin songs]]
[[Category:Kris Kristofferson songs]]
[[Category:Roger Miller songs]]
[[Category:Number-one singles in Australia]]
[[Category:Songs written by Kris Kristofferson]]
[[Category:Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Jerry Kennedy]]
[[Category:Songs about trains]]
[[Category:Songs about truck driving]]
[[Category:Lalla Hansson songs]]
[[Category:Songs released posthumously]]
[[Category:BNA Records singles]]
[[Category:Columbia Records singles]]
[[Category:Smash Records singles]]
[[Category:Gordon Lightfoot songs]]
[[Category:Jerry Lee Lewis songs]]