Hi Kids,

There are a few older performing songwriters on whose shoulders we all stand: Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Kris Kristofferson, John Prine, and Guy Clark to name a few of my faves. Most of these guys are in or close to their '70's and are still writing and touring. Some are still drinking good whiskey.  Some have written songs that deal with their increasing sense of mortality so, being an old mortal myself, I am listening with great interests to what these poet/philosophers/songwriters have to say on the subject. I figured for the next few posts I'd share a bit of what I've found. There's a sober humor in their songs I think you'll appreciate. Let's start with Kris Kristofferson who finds himself quite a few miles down the road from those windshield wipers slappin' time...

He starts with: "Wide awake and feeling mortal/At this moment in the dream/That old man there in the mirror/And my shaky self-esteem".

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Photo of the young Kris Kristofferson by Colin Mcrae.