Feeling Mortal

Album: Feeling Mortal (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The title track of the twenty-first album by Kris Kristofferson finds the 76-year-old Country Hall of Famer singing of getting old. He told CMT News: "It's amazing. We don't think about dying or anything, although all of us end up there. I guess when you get to be 76 years old, you start thinking about the shortness of the time left, but amazingly I do without regret. (laughs)"
  • The song finds Kristofferson singing to the Lord: "God Almighty, here I am. Am I where I ought to be. I've begun to soon descend like the sun into the sea." He told CMT News: "It's not like a prayer, but it's talking straight to the Man."
  • The Feeling Mortal album finds Kristofferson examining hard-won grace as well as offering heartfelt thanks for a life well-lived, but is primarily about getting old. "I was doing songs that made sense to me at this end of the line," he told UK newspaper The Daily Telegraph with a dry chuckle. "I'm definitely feeling mortal, and just about all of them have an autobiographical element. It's that end of the race and you can't help but think about it. But I've got so many things to be grateful for. This is the best part of my life."

Comments: 1

  • Kathi J Lewis from Pensacola Beach, FlHe just gets more amazing with each song!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Ian Astbury of The Cult

Ian Astbury of The CultSongwriter Interviews

The Cult frontman tells who the "Fire Woman" is, and talks about performing with the new version of The Doors.

Jimmy Webb

Jimmy WebbSongwriter Interviews

Webb talks about his classic songs "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Wichita Lineman" and "MacArthur Park."

Vince Clarke

Vince ClarkeSongwriter Interviews

An original member of Depeche Mode, Vince went on to form Erasure and Yaz.

Julian Lennon

Julian LennonSongwriter Interviews

Julian tells the stories behind his hits "Valotte" and "Too Late for Goodbyes," and fills us in on his many non-musical pursuits. Also: what MTV meant to his career.

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin Popoff

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin PopoffSong Writing

A talk with Martin Popoff about his latest book on Rush and how he assessed the thousands of albums he reviewed.

Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues

Justin Hayward of The Moody BluesSongwriter Interviews

Justin wrote the classic "Nights In White Satin," but his fondest musical memories are from a different decade.