# Bobby McGee, one day up near Salinas, is Kristofferson tipping his hat to Steinbeck? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 3, 2019, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobby-mcgee-one-day-up-near-salinas-is-kristofferson-tipping-his-hat-to-steinbeck/831964 "2019-04-03T05:56:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobby-mcgee-one-day-up-near-salinas-is-kristofferson-tipping-his-hat-to-steinbeck/831964/21 "2019-04-03T19:27:31Z")
**Johanna** & **Ukulele Ike** are responsible for me spending what remains of my day listening to Dylan and enjoying some buddage. Thanks, guys!! ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobby-mcgee-one-day-up-near-salinas-is-kristofferson-tipping-his-hat-to-steinbeck/831964/22 "2019-04-03T21:18:06Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > **Johanna** & **Ukulele Ike** are responsible for me spending what remains of my day listening to Dylan and enjoying some buddage. Thanks, guys!! Spark one for me, my friends, you know I can’t spark any more. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobby-mcgee-one-day-up-near-salinas-is-kristofferson-tipping-his-hat-to-steinbeck/831964/23 "2019-04-03T21:18:27Z")
A song about a pair of drifters, and one opts for settling down. For some reason (sexist?) I attribute the drifter role to the man, and the need to settle down to the woman - so Kristofferson’s version resonates more with me than Joplin. (Kentucky- Louisiana - California - they certainly got around…) ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobby-mcgee-one-day-up-near-salinas-is-kristofferson-tipping-his-hat-to-steinbeck/831964/24 "2019-04-03T21:24:51Z")
I’m not sure how much literary attention Salinas has gotten since Steinbeck passed, but I just finished reading Jenn Bennett’s [Arcadia Bell](https://www.goodreads.com/series/56449-arcadia-bell) series of urban fantasy novels. Even though I’ve never been to that part of California, Bennet has obviously set it in Salinas by another name (calling it “Morella”) and Carmel-by-the-Sea (“La Sirena”). She had me frequently referring to Google Maps of Salinas, Carmel, and environs. In particular, Summoning the Night features intensely eldritch goings-on in the old abandoned **cannery**. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobby-mcgee-one-day-up-near-salinas-is-kristofferson-tipping-his-hat-to-steinbeck/831964/25 "2019-04-03T21:54:08Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > **Johanna** & **Ukulele Ike** are responsible for me spending what remains of my day listening to Dylan and enjoying some buddage. Thanks, guys!! That’s funny because ME TOO! I’m just hanging out contemplating how I was so much older then and I’m younger than that now. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobby-mcgee-one-day-up-near-salinas-is-kristofferson-tipping-his-hat-to-steinbeck/831964/26 "2019-04-03T22:56:30Z")
The thread on **Bands - live vs. studio** turned me on to **Leftover Salmon** yesterday. Try their version of “Tangled Up in Blue” on the “25” album. Also “Rag Mama Rag” if you consider the Band to be a Dylan offshoot, as I do. ---
**Author:** ![JWT\_Kottekoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@JWT\_Kottekoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JWT_Kottekoe)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2019, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobby-mcgee-one-day-up-near-salinas-is-kristofferson-tipping-his-hat-to-steinbeck/831964/27 "2019-04-04T02:20:24Z")
Next time I am stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues again, I’m sure I will have visions of Johanna and a sad eyed lady of the lowlands wearing a leopard skin pill box hat. Is it just like a woman? Absolutely, sweet Marie. One of us must know that I’ve been pledging my time. It’s the 4th time around and most likely you go your way and I’ll go mine. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2019, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobby-mcgee-one-day-up-near-salinas-is-kristofferson-tipping-his-hat-to-steinbeck/831964/28 "2019-04-04T20:58:52Z")
:: applause :: Everybody just get stoned! ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2019, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobby-mcgee-one-day-up-near-salinas-is-kristofferson-tipping-his-hat-to-steinbeck/831964/29 "2019-04-04T21:24:54Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > :: applause :: > Everybody just get stoned! Can’t. I’m busted flat in Baton Rouge. But the beer I had for breakfast wasn’t bad, so I had one more, for dessert. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2019, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobby-mcgee-one-day-up-near-salinas-is-kristofferson-tipping-his-hat-to-steinbeck/831964/30 "2019-04-05T13:10:13Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > The lyrics are “let HER slip away,” so it’s not Steinbeck. The lyric changes with the gender (and, I suppose, the orientation) of the singer. Guys (well, straight guys) sing about Bobbie McGee as a her, Girls (again, straight girls) sing about Bobby McGee as a him. of course, we also have to consider what Bobb(ie/y)'s preferred pronoun is… ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2019, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobby-mcgee-one-day-up-near-salinas-is-kristofferson-tipping-his-hat-to-steinbeck/831964/31 "2019-04-05T15:50:31Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > of course, we also have to consider what Bobb(ie/y)'s preferred pronoun is… Would you trade all your tomorrows to find out? ---
**Author:** ![bellaimages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ebca7d/32.png) [@bellaimages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bellaimages)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobby-mcgee-one-day-up-near-salinas-is-kristofferson-tipping-his-hat-to-steinbeck/831964/32 "2020-06-12T10:17:19Z")
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