RIP, Kris Kristofferson.

Kris Kristofferson, the singer and songwriter whose literary yet plain-spoken compositions infused country music with rarely heard candor and depth, and who later had a successful second career in movies, died at his home on Maui, Hawaii, on Saturday. He was 88.

I’ve mentioned before here how much of a part of my life that Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid has been in my fifty years in this earth, and he also was in another top tier western classic, Heaven’s Gate. Aside from his fifty plus movies, he has quite the catalogue of music hits, which were likewise re-recorded by artists like Al Green and the Grateful Dead.

”For the Good Times” is a sweetly sad song written to a former love affair, though the opening lines sound like something many of us have been singing in our heads since Saturday night, particularly those opening lines.

It was his first hit, reaching number 1 on Country billboards in 1970. Despite a decorated military career and degrees from the United States and Oxford, Kristofferson spurned the opportunity to teach for a career as a performer. Working as a janitor at Columbia Studios, he would meet several influential artists, including Bob Dylan, who he’d later partner with musically and in Pat Garrett, as well.

The song would go on to win the Academy of Country Music’s 1971 song of the year, and Rolling Stone has it listed as #18 on its “40 Saddest Country Music Songs of All Time”.

Thanks for the good times, Mr. Kristofferson.