Kris Kristofferson's Shipwrecked '80s Opener Inspired by Veteran's Struggles

The story behind the singer-songwriter's 1986 track that he's opened every show with for decades.

Mar. 16, 2026 at 7:05pm

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Kris Kristofferson's 1986 song "Shipwrecked In The Eighties" was inspired by a dark period in his own life, as well as a chance encounter with a struggling Vietnam War veteran on a Malibu beach. Despite the song's depressing origins, Kristofferson has made it the opening number at every one of his concerts for decades, citing superstition as the reason.

Why it matters

The song's universal themes of feeling lost and adrift resonated with Kristofferson's fans, many of whom were also dealing with their own personal and professional struggles in the 1980s. By opening each show with this emotionally raw track, Kristofferson was able to connect with his audience on a deeper level and provide a sense of shared experience.

The details

After the failure of the film "Heaven's Gate", the death of his manager and agent, the collapse of his record label, and the end of his marriage, Kristofferson was feeling "pretty shipwrecked" in the 1980s. It was during this time that he met a Vietnam veteran on a Malibu beach who inspired the lyrics to "Shipwrecked In The Eighties", including the line "Like an old Holy Bible you've clung to for so many seasons." Despite the song's dark origins, Kristofferson decided to open every one of his concerts with it, citing superstition as the reason.

  • Kristofferson wrote "Shipwrecked In The Eighties" in 1986.
  • Kristofferson has opened every one of his concerts with the song for decades.

The players

Kris Kristofferson

An American singer-songwriter, actor, and writer who rose to fame in the 1970s with hits like "Me and Bobby McGee" and "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down". He wrote the song "Shipwrecked In The Eighties" during a difficult personal and professional period in the 1980s.

Vietnam War veteran

A veteran Kristofferson met on a Malibu beach who inspired the lyrics to "Shipwrecked In The Eighties" with his own struggles and sense of disillusionment after the war.

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What they’re saying

“It started out from a personal place where I was. I had just come out of [the film] Heaven's Gate, the biggest bomb of all time. My manager died, my agent died, and the company I was recording for, Monument, went under. My marriage was over, and my little girl was gone. I felt pretty shipwrecked.”

— Kris Kristofferson

“He came up to tell me how much my music had meant to him at a tough time in his life. He gave me this old bible that was all underlined; he was pretty wasted looking, head obviously been standing too close to the flame for a while. But it seemed to me symbolic of many people who were kind of adrift after their experience in Vietnam.”

— Kris Kristofferson

The takeaway

Kris Kristofferson's decision to open every one of his concerts with the emotionally raw and universally relatable "Shipwrecked In The Eighties" demonstrates the power of music to connect with audiences on a deep level, even during the darkest of times. The song's origins in Kristofferson's own personal struggles and his chance encounter with a struggling veteran serve as a poignant reminder that art can be a lifeline for those who feel lost or adrift.