The Voice Australia – Karise Eden – “Me and Bobby McGee” (Janis Joplin cover)
I’m Calling My Lover Just The Best I Can!
“Me and Bobby McGee” was originally performed by American singer-songwriter Roger Miller. It was written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster. It was later covered by other artists like The Grateful Dead. Janis Joplin’s cover dominated the US Singles Chart.
- Ranked at number 11 for Billboard’s Top Songs for 1971
- 2nd posthumous number-one single in U.S. chart history
The song’s final defining image came to Kristofferson as he was driving in heavy rain to the airport for the flight home. “I went, ‘With them windshield wipers slapping time and Bobby clapping hands we finally sang up every song the driver knew.’ And that was it.”
Janis changed some lyrics to the song and also Bobby’s gender. Although Kristofferson (who was allegedly Janis’ lover) didn’t exactly pen the track for her BUT it was said to be associated with her.
Kristofferson stated that the film La Strada was an inspiration for the song and remarked on the irony of how a song inspired by a classic road movie should come to be used in another.
Karise Eden, who won The Voice Australia’s first series, covered this Janis Joplin classic and it’s incredibly soulful! Amazing raw vocals too!