When the beginnings of this song were forming in Kris Kristofferson's head, they were sitting right next to some lingering thoughts about a movie he had recently watched, called La Strada.
In this Frederico Fellini-directed film, a traveling entertainer and his female helper develop a complicated relationship as they traverse the country together, until one abandons the other. Though the man desperately searches for the woman, he is informed of a tragedy that will ensure they never see each other again.
In the end, elements of the song are pulled from the story of La Strada, but the song is also inspired by plenty of other road movies, poems, and stories. Plus, Kristofferson also said he wrote the lyrics while driving from Morgan City to New Orleans in the rain, and it's influenced by an experience he once shared with a girl.