Please Do n't Tell Me How the Story Ends - Wikipedia Please Do n't Tell Me How the Story Ends `` Please Do n't Tell Me How the Story Ends '' Single by Ronnie Milsap from the album Pure Love B - side `` Streets of Gold '' Released July 1974 Format 7 '' Recorded May 1971 ( original Warner Bros. Records version ) January 1974 ( RCA Records version ) Genre Country Length 2 : 41 Label RCA APBO - 0313 Songwriter ( s ) Kris Kristofferson Producer ( s ) Tom Collins, Jack D. Johnson Ronnie Milsap singles chronology `` Pure Love '' ( 1974 ) `` Please Do n't Tell Me How the Story Ends '' ( 1974 ) `` ( I 'd Be ) A Legend in My Time '' ( 1974 ) `` Pure Love '' ( 1974 ) `` Please Do n't Tell How the Story Ends '' ( 1974 ) `` ( I 'd Be ) A Legend in My Time '' ( 1974 ) `` Please Do n't Tell Me How the Story Ends '' is a song written by Kris Kristofferson, and recorded by American country music artist Ronnie Milsap. It was released in July 1974 as the second single from the album Pure Love. The song was his fourth country hit and second number one on the country chart. The single stayed at number one for two weeks and spent a total of nine weeks on the country chart. Kristofferson recorded the song with Rita Coolidge for their final duet album, Natural Act, and later with Mark Knopfler for The Austin Sessions. The song has been recorded by many artists including Bobby Bare, Sammy Davis, Jr., Joan Osborne, Dee Reilly and Willie Nelson. Milsap himself recorded an earlier version of the song, released on his 1971 self - titled album while recording for Warner Bros. Records. Chart performance Chart ( 1974 ) Peak position US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) US Billboard Hot 100 95 Canadian RPM Country Tracks References Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2004 ). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits : 1944 - 2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 232. Jump up ^ `` Ronnie Milsap Chart History ( Hot Country Songs ) ''. Billboard. Jump up ^ `` Ronnie Milsap Chart History ( Hot 100 ) ''. Billboard. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Ronnie Milsap Studio albums Ronnie Milsap Where My Heart Is Pure Love Legend in My Time A Rose By Any Other Name Night Things 20 / 20 Vision It Was Almost Like a Song Only One Love in My Life Images Milsap Magic Out Where the Bright Lights Are Glowing There 's No Gettin ' Over Me Inside Keyed Up One More Try for Love Lost in the Fifties Tonight Christmas with Ronnie Milsap Heart & Soul Stranger Things Have Happened Back to the Grindstone True Believer Sings His Best for Capitol Records Just for a Thrill My Life Then Sings My Soul Compilation albums Greatest Hits Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 40 # 1 Hits 16 Biggest Hits # 1 singles `` Pure Love '' `` Please Do n't Tell Me How the Story Ends '' `` ( I 'd Be ) A Legend in My Time '' `` Daydreams About Night Things '' `` What Goes On When the Sun Goes Down '' `` ( I 'm A ) Stand by My Woman Man '' `` Let My Love Be Your Pillow '' `` It Was Almost Like a Song '' `` What a Difference You 've Made in My Life '' `` Only One Love in My Life '' `` Let 's Take the Long Way Around the World '' `` Back on My Mind Again '' `` Nobody Likes Sad Songs '' `` Why Do n't You Spend the Night '' `` My Heart '' `` Cowboys and Clowns '' `` Smoky Mountain Rain '' `` Am I Losing You '' `` ( There 's ) No Gettin ' Over Me '' `` I Would n't Have Missed It for the World '' `` Any Day Now '' `` He Got You '' `` Inside '' `` Stranger in My House '' `` Do n't You Know How Much I Love You '' `` Show Her '' `` Still Losing You '' `` She Keeps the Home Fires Burning '' `` Lost in the Fifties Tonight ( In the Still of the Night ) '' `` Happy, Happy Birthday Baby '' `` In Love '' `` How Do I Turn You On '' `` Snap Your Fingers '' `` Make No Mistake, She 's Mine '' ( with Kenny Rogers ) `` Where Do the Nights Go '' `` Do n't You Ever Get Tired ( Of Hurting Me ) '' `` A Woman in Love '' `` Stranger Things Have Happened '' Other songs `` Too Late to Worry, Too Blue to Cry '' `` Just in Case '' `` In No Time at All '' `` Prisoner of the Highway '' `` Old Folks '' ( with Mike Reid ) `` Button Off My Shirt '' `` Houston Solution '' `` Are You Lovin ' Me Like I 'm Lovin ' You '' `` Since I Do n't Have You '' `` Turn That Radio On '' `` All Is Fair in Love and War '' `` True Believer '' Related articles Discography Book : Ronnie Milsap This 1970s country song -- related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Please_Don%27t_Tell_Me_How_the_Story_Ends&oldid=847323934 '' Categories : 1974 singles Ronnie Milsap songs Rita Coolidge songs Kris Kristofferson songs Songs written by Kris Kristofferson Song recordings produced by Tom Collins ( record producer ) Billboard Hot Country Songs number - one singles RPM Country Tracks number - one singles RCA Records singles 1971 songs 1970s country song stubs Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Billboardcountrysongs Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 All stub articles Talk About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 24 June 2018, at 14 : 22 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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Question: who wrote please don't tell me how the story ends
Answer: Kris Kristofferson