Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down

"Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" is a song written by Kris Kristofferson that appeared on Kristofferson's first album. The original version of the song was recorded by Ray Stevens in 1969 and became his first country chart hit reaching #55 on the country charts and #81 on the pop Top 100. A cover of it by country legend Johnny Cash gained great popularity, garnering the Country Music Association Award for "Song of the Year" in 1970. Johnny Cash's version was titled "Sunday Morning Coming Down".

In 1971, Cash sang the song live on his television show "Johnny Cash and Friends." The show's executives demanded that he change the lyric, "wishing, Lord, that I was stoned," in order not to offend family audiences, but Cash sang the song exactly as was written (except changing "cursin' at a can that he was kickin'" to "playin' with a can that he was kickin'"). "Sunday Morning Coming Down" was put on CMT's 100 greatest songs of all time.

Cash sings this song in the episode "" (1974) in which he guest stars.

Cover versions

Aside from Johnny Cash's cover, the song has also been covered by Hank Ballard in a version for Shelby Singleton's briefly lived Silver Fox label; the Mother Hips on the Kristofferson tribute album "Don't Let The Bastards Get You Down;" by punk rock cover band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes on their October 2006 album "Love Their Country"; by Atlanta-native singer/songwriter Shawn Mullins on his album "Soul's Core"; by the indie rock group Crooked Fingers (2002 EP "Reservoir Songs"); and by the Brassknuckle Boys on their 2001 album, "American Bastard". A version also appears on bluegrass group Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press's 2006 album "Try a Little Kindness". Carcass bassist/frontman Jeff Walker recorded a version of the song for his country cover album "Welcome to Carcass Cuntry". Mark Lindsay (of Paul Revere & the Raiders fame) released an adult contemporary style recording on his solo album "Arizona". Frankie Laine recorded the song for his 1978 British album "Life is beautiful". And yet another cover was performed by Alvin Youngblood Hart on the Blue's tribute album to Johnny Cash "Johnny's Blues".

In 2006, Trace Adkins recorded a version for the "Songs Of The Year" compilation, available only at Cracker Barrel stores.

References

The recurring refrain "The beer I had for breakfast..." in Kimya Dawson's song "The Beer" is a reference to "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down".