But Life Goes on and This Old World Will Keep on Turning

I’ve heard it said that it isn’t hard to write a hit song. It’s nearly impossible, but it’s not hard.

There are certain songs that transcend the appellation: hit, that become: standards. People crawl over each other trying to perform them and enjoy the popularity juice that’s obviously in them. They might achieve an original take on these warhorses, but the meat is the song, and the salt is the delivery. These songs are occasionally composed by one-hit wonders, but that’s pretty rare in my experience. It’s usually artists who have a string of hits, some of which get their head way above top 40 ocean and make it up into the standards cloud.

Kris Kristofferson wrote several songs that became standards. He wrote a bunch more that were popular in their own right. I think a solid majority of the population of the United States has recorded For the Good Times at this point. You can hear fat Elvis try his hand at it, or senescent Sinatra mumble it if you like. Ray Price had a number one hit with it, and must have thought he’d stubbed his toe on a golden boulder. Perry Como de-boned it for weak musical teeth, and spent  half a year on the British charts with it. Karaoke tapes have gone woolly dragging its carcass over magnetic heads over and over.

I recall an Irishism that states that you’re not dead until no one utters your name anymore. Let’s expand it to include uttering your lyrics.