“Kris’s Rules” is singer/songwriter John Flynn's heartfelt respones to news about the 2024 passing of his longtime hero and friend Kris Kristofferson. 

For the chorus of this special song, John received permission from Lisa Kristofferson, Kris’s wife of 41 years, to include Kris's personal prescription for living: “Tell the truth. Sing with passion. Work with laughter. Love with heart”.

After hearing an early mix of “Kris’s Rules”, Lisa suggested that John add Kris’s name as a cowriter of the song. John counts typing his name next to Kristofferson’s on the lyrics sheet for “Kris’s Rules” one of the biggest honors of his career.

“Kris’s Rules” was produced and mixed by Harvey (better known to Philadelphia as “Harvey in the Morning”) at Barndance Productions in Wallingford, PA. A multi-instrumentalist as well, Harvey also plays most of the additional instruments supporting Flynn’s plaintive vocals and guitar on the track. “Kris’s Rules” will also be included on Flynn’s forthcoming album Kindred Spirits (Summer 2025).

(p) 2025 John Flynn



Kris's Rules

The Victim Tree

From John Flynn's live 2001 CD, To the Point

To The Point

Fat Naked Angels

Produced by Harvey, Words and Music by Michael Nesmith, From the forthcoming album Take Cover by Hondo Jenkins

Papa Gene's Blues

Performed by John Flynn 

Recorded and produced by Harvey at Barndance Productions

Words and Music by John Flynn

The Circle of Love   			by John Flynn

CHORUS:
Ain’t no love without freedom
Ain’t no freedom without justice
Ain’t no justice without mercy
Ain’t no mercy without love

Fat man talking about bootstraps
While he’s hitting out of sand traps
Thin man scrounging  round for food scraps
While the car he’s sleeping in’s
Leaking oil from its valve seals
As the banker’s doing cartwheels 
And the DA’s scoring plea deals
As the choir sings Amen!  chorus

Politicians flash incisors 
As the cops pull down their visors
And we’re sadder but no wiser
As the world we’re watching burn
Will growing harder just to live in 
And to find a damn to give in
‘Til we wake up to what we’ve been
Taking much too long to learn chorus

BRIDGE
It’s the circle of love, may it grow ever wide
Until no one is standing outside

There won’t be no either or then
We’ll say both and maybe more when
What was lost has been restored when
What is torn has been made whole
I can feel it every day in
My old bones and my archaic
Deoxyribonucleic 
Yeah, I know it in my soul chorus

© 2019 Flying Stone Music

The Circle of Love

From the album TAKE COVER, Performed by Hondo Jenkins, Produced by Harvey, Words and Music by George Harrison

3.   All Things Must Pass

From the album TAKE COVER, Performed by Hondo Jenkins, Produced by Harvey, Words and Music by Mickey Newbury

Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)

From the album TAKE COVER, Performed by Hondo Jenkins, Produced by Harvey, Words and Music by Michael Brown, Bob Calilli, and Tony Sansone

12.  Just Walk Away Renee

From the album TAKE COVER, performed by Hondo Jenkins, Produced by Harvey, words and music by Bill Withers

6.   Lean On Me

From the album TAKE COVER, performed by Hondo Jenkins, produced by Harvey, Words and Music by Barry and Robin Gibb

13.  New York Mining Disaster 1941

From the album TAKE COVER, Performed by Honda Jenkins, produced by Harvey, words and music by Barry man and Cynthia Weil

4.   We Gotta Get Out of This Place

From the album TAKE COVER, Performed by Hondo Jenkins, Produced by Harvey, Words and Music by Adam Clayton, Dave Evans, Larry Mullen, Paul David Hewson, Victor Reina

John Flynn

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