Broken Freedom Song - Live from San Francisco

For his performance at San Francisco’s Gershwin Theater on July 19, 2002, Kris Kristofferson drew on songs from all phases of his storied career. Still, it’s impossible to ignore the context for this live album, or the implication of its title. September 11th was still fresh in the public’s mind, and Kristofferson was exactly the kind of wise and grounded voice that music fans were looking toward in the midst of upheaval. Freedom has been a perennial theme in Kristofferson’s art and there’s no question that the turmoil of 2001 left its mark on him. Both “Broken Freedom Song” and “What About Me” find Kristofferson questioning the values that have guided his life since the ‘60s. The concert includes renditions of some of Kristofferson’s most touching love songs (“Moment of Forever,” “Road Warrior’s Lament”) but the political themes of “The Circle,” “Sandinista” and “Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down” are felt especially hard in this setting. Even Kristofferson’s 1972 song “Nobody Wins” takes on a new meaning in light of the impending wars in Iraq and Afghanistan: “Cause it's a shame to make / The same mistakes again / And again / It's over / Nobody wins.”