decision to modify the song's lyrics to omit the word "black"; the original lyrics state: "If that's against the law, tell me why I never saw a man locked in that jail of yours that wasn't either black or poor as me". The recorded version changed the line to "low-down poor as me". On the next track "Help Me Make It Through the Night", Kristofferson expresses his need to avoid loneliness by "needing a friend". Kristofferson wrote the song while spending time with Dottie West and her husband Bill. Kristofferson offered the song to West, who initially felt it was "inappropriate" and declined to record it but she later recorded her own version for her album Careless Hands. He took the title from an interview with Frank Sinatra in Esquire, in which Sinatra was asked what he believed in and replied; "booze, broads or a bible ... whatever helps me make it through the night". "The Law Is for Protection of the People" presents a character who is subjected to unfair treatment by police, a common theme in Kristofferson's writings of the time. In "Casey's Last Ride", Kristofferson tells the story of a lonely man who reminisces about a former lover. The song's arrangements were the most orchestrated on the album and include a melody that in verses shifts from the predominant use of guitar and bass to violins in slower parts. In "Darby's Castle", Kristofferson wrote about Cecil Darby, who neglects his wife in favor of building a large castle for her. Affected by her isolation, Darby sees his wife Helen with another man in her bedroom and then burns the castle in one night. "For the Good Times" describes a sexual encounter between two lovers. The song was first recorded by Ray Price and was released before Kristofferson in June 1970. It reached number one on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart and crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 12. The next song, "Duvalier's Dream", presents the story of a character who lives in isolation until he meets a woman who re-establishes his connection to society. The album closes with "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", which Kristofferson wrote after his divorce, when he lived alone in a small apartment. He had been fired from his job as a pilot after being found inebriated at work. The song describes a character's struggle with loneliness and