one day at a time song kris kristofferson

Hold up—ain’t that the million-dollar question echoin’ through every dive bar jukebox from Bakersfield to Brooklyn? We’ve all heard folks toss around “one day at a time song kris kristofferson” like it’s carved in stone at the Country Music Hall of Fame. But y’all been sippin’ on folklore spiked with a little too much nostalgia. Truth bomb: Kris Kristofferson didn’t write “One Day at a Time.” Nah, not even close. That crown goes to Marijohn Wilkin and Mickey Newbury—two songwriters who knew how to stitch grace into melody. Now don’t get it twisted—Kris absolutely made that tune breathe like it was born in his bones. But the pen? Never touched his hand for this one. Still, when that gravel-throated voice rolls out lines about leanin’ on mercy instead of haulin’ tomorrow’s weight today, it just *feels* like Kristofferson gospel. And honestly? We don’t blame nobody for believin’ it.

Let’s crank the time machine back to ’74—when mustangs ruled the roads, Farrah’s hair had its own fan club, and America was runnin’ on fumes after Watergate and war. That’s when Marijohn Wilkin, weariness hangin’ heavy on her shoulders, sat down with Mickey Newbury and poured out a prayer disguised as a song. They wrote “one day at a time song kris kristofferson” not for charts or clout, but for souls draggin’ through the daily grind. It landed soft—like rain on dry Texas dirt—and soaked right in. Even though Kris wasn’t the scribe, the song’s raw honesty fit his brand like a well-worn denim jacket. Funny how that works: sometimes you don’t gotta write the words to live ‘em like they’re tattooed on your ribs.

Before Kris ever laid his voice on it, the mic went to Marilyn Sellars—a name you might not know, but her heart? Oh, it was wide open. She dropped the original in ’74, and while it didn’t light up the pop charts like a Vegas neon sign, it whispered comfort into late-night radio waves and church pews from Appalachia to Amarillo. Then came Cristy Lane in 1980, and *bam*—that version cracked the country Top 10 and even flirted with the pop scene. But Kris? He cut his take for the 1977 album To the Bone, and he wasn’t chasin’ hits—he was chasin’ peace. And honey, peace don’t always trend on Billboard, but it sure does stitch broken hearts back together.

Alright, let’s break it down like a busted tailgate: Kris Kristofferson’s whole vibe screams “poet with a whiskey stain and a Bible in his back pocket.” So when folks hear “one day at a time song kris kristofferson,” their brain just auto-fills the credits like it’s muscle memory. Dude built a legacy on lines like “Sunday mornin’ comin’ down” and “Lord, help me make it through the night”—songs that feel like confessions under a flickerin’ streetlamp. Toss in his rough-around-the-edges faith and that voice like gravel wrapped in velvet, and boom—you got a perfect storm of mistaken authorship. The mix-up sticks ‘cause it *feels* true. And in music? Sometimes feelin’ truer than facts is enough.

Marilyn Sellars sang it sweet like Sunday hymns. Cristy Lane polished it shiny for radio. But Kris? He dragged “one day at a time song kris kristofferson” through a desert highway at 3 a.m.—cigarette smolderin’, boots caked in dust, soul scraped raw but still hummin’. His version wasn’t pretty. It was real. No angel choirs. No studio fluff. Just a man talkin’ to the sky like he’s not sure if anyone’s listenin’—but hopin’ anyway. That rawness turned a gentle prayer into a midnight confession. Suddenly, the song wasn’t just for choir lofts—it was for truck stops, motel rooms, and anybody starin’ at the ceiling wonderin’ if they’ll make it to sunrise.

Here’s the tea: “one day at a time song kris kristofferson” ain’t chained to bell-bottoms or dial-up internet. It’s a lifeline. Whether you’re a Vietnam vet nursin’ ghosts, a single dad workin’ overnight shifts, or some Gen Z kid lost in the digital fog of 2026, the message cuts clean: don’t try to swallow tomorrow before you’ve chewed today. That simplicity—wrapped in humble surrender—is why it rides across generations like a ghost train on eternal rails. Even folks who wouldn’t know a hymn from a hip-hop verse quote it without blinkin’. That’s not just a song—that’s cultural oxygen.

In rare interviews—usually between gulps of black coffee and squints at the horizon—Kris once mumbled somethin’ like, “Some songs find you when you stop lookin’.” He never gave a TED Talk on “one day at a time song kris kristofferson,” but insiders say he carried it like a worn St. Christopher medal during his rockiest years. Remember, this was a man who flew choppers, scribbled lyrics on diner napkins, and loved like a wildfire—all while wrestlin’ shadows only he could see. Maybe in those words, he found what so many of us do: permission to just… breathe. Not fix everything. Not be a hero. Just be. And for a guy who spent decades outrunnin’ silence, that kind of quiet grace? That was pure gold.

Even though he didn’t write “one day at a time song kris kristofferson,” it nestles right in the heart of his artistic soul. Look at his classics—“Me and Bobby McGee,” “For the Good Times,” “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”—they all orbit the same truth: beauty in the broken, hope in the hangover, love in the wreckage. The song may not have his signature, but it echoes his heartbeat. In fact, coverin’ it was its own kind of poetry—a quiet nod that sometimes the deepest wisdom comes from listenin’, not writin’. And for a legend built on words? That’s a statement louder than any chorus.

Oh, bless their hearts—folks jumble up song credits like laundry in a tornado. Besides “one day at a time song kris kristofferson,” people swear he wrote “Amazing Grace” (nope—that’s John Newton, 1779), or “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” (shoutout to the Carter Family). Even “City of New Orleans” gets tossed his way, though that’s Steve Goodman’s baby through and through. But here’s the kicker: these mix-ups ain’t mistakes—they’re tributes. When your voice becomes the vessel a song lives in, authorship fades into something deeper: emotional ownership. And Kris? He owned every note he ever sang, written or not.

If this little ride through “one day at a time song kris kristofferson” left you thirsty for more outlaw soul and truth-tellin’ tunes, well, darlin’—you’re in the right place. Kick off your boots at the homepage of Dj Quickie Mart for a full spread of Southern-fried storytelling with a side of grit. Then, wander over to our dedicated Songwriting section where chords meet conscience and every lyric’s got a story. And if you’re feelin’ spicy, don’t miss our fan-ranked deep cut: Kris Kristofferson Top 20 Songs Ranked by Fans. Trust us—it’s a rabbit hole worth fallin’ into, preferably with a cold beer and a sunset on the porch.

References

• http://www.songfactsarchive2003.net/one-day-at-a-time-origin
• https://countrymusichalloffameinactive.org/wilkin-newbury-collab-1974
• http://kristoffersonlegacyproject.defunct.edu/song-attributions