Any John Prine fans here?

[nomaco-10]

John Prine, Sweet Revenge or Lost Dogs and missed Blessings? My favorites songs are Spanish Pipedream and Paradise, but I like all his stuff. I know,I know, I've only got 115 posts, but I'm pacing my self for the next Gene Freedom Philosophy thread (just kidding).

[XNASA]

1. I used to pal around with his brother, Billy.

Years ago. I'm not a huge fan, but he is from around here. Mrs. XNASA is a bigger fan than I.

Billy was quite a piece of work. I lost touch with him. Wonder what he's up to?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. Love Prine

Your Flag Decal Won't Get you Into Heaven anymore/ sam stone

[PAMod]

3. I saw him in Harrisburg, PA recently...

never heard of him until then, and was blown away by the show. He played for almost three hours.

[Fredda Weinberg]

4. You may see me today

With an illegal smile,
It don't cost very much,
But it lasts a long while.

Won't you please tell the man,
I didn't kill anyone.
I'm just trying to have me some fun.

[kayell]

5. I love John Prine

Paradise makes my 72 year old father, who grew up in a coal town, cry every time he hears it.

[Mel]

6. yes seen him twice

He played about 3 hours each time I saw him once in Charlotte and the other in Raleigh.

Flashback Blues

While window shopping through the past
I ran across a looking glass
Reflecting moments remaining in a burned out light
Tragic magic prayers of passion
Stay the same through changing fashions
They freeze my mind like water on a winter's night

Spent most of my youth
Out hobo cruising
And all I got for proof
Is rocks in my pockets and dirt in my shoes
So goodbye nonbeliever
Don't you know that I hate to leave here
So long babe, I got the flashback blues.

Photographs show the laughs
Recorded in between the bad times
Happy sailors dancing on a sinking ship
Cloudy skies and dead fruit flies
Waving goodbye with tears in my eyes
Well, sure I made it but ya know it was as hell of a trip.

Spent most of my youth
Out hobo cruising
And all I got for proof
Is rocks in my pockets and dirt in my shoes
And ten times what it grieves you
That's how much more I hate to leave you now
So long babe, I got the flashback blues.

Spent most of my youth
Out hobo cruising
And all I got for proof
Is rocks in my pockets and dirt in my shoes
So goodbye nonbeliever
Don't you know that I hate to leave here
So long babe, I got the flashback blues.

John Prine

[Papa]

7. The Missing Years

Im a huge fan of this album. It was produced by the late Howie Epstein (was in Tom Petty's band). I LOVE this album. Not really familiar with his other stuff, but this album is a classic and one of my top 20 of all time.

[mac56]

25. I agree, Papa -

"The Missing Years" is one of his best albums. Won a Grammy the year it came out.

[Loki]

8. If you have never seen John Prine live,

you are missing something you'll remember for the rest of your life. We didn't want to leave, just wanted it to go on forever. I have so many favorites and memories to go with these songs, they are songs I sang to my children when they were little, so they "knew" John Prine before any of their generation did. He's something to pass on. My favorites are Hello In There, Angel From Montgomery, Paradise, Far From Me, Christmas in Prison, The Accident, and the list goes on and on.

[TheBigGuy]

11. Oh yes....Hello in There..great tune!

Thats actually a pretty poignant tune on aging.

[damnraddem]

9. Ah, I remember.

'There's a hole in daddy's arm,' good old Sam Stone.

Didn't he also write 'Chicken Cordon Blues'?

[Spirochete]

12. I think that might have been Steve Goodman

Sam Stone - great song. That and Souveniers are my favorites.

[redwitch]

13. saw them together years ago in Philly

Truly an incredible evening. I love John Prine-I would have a hard time choosing a single song as my favorite.

[TheBigGuy]

14. Steve & John were pals.

Steve wrote the great "City of New Orleans"

and also "A Dying Cub Fans Last Request".

[welshTerrier2]

18. They wrote this one together

pretty funny last verse too ...


You Never Even Call Me By My Name
(AKA The Perfect Country & Western Song)
©Steve Goodman and John Prine)

(as sung by Steve Goodman in London, Aug 8, 1976)

This is a song I wrote with John Prine 4 years ago (1972) and we tried to put into one song, everything that had ever been in any of the country and western songs we had ever heard. Tried to put it all into one song. Serves us right. This is what came out:

Well it was all I could do to keep from cryin'
Some times it seems so useless to remain
You're the one who always tried to change me
And that is why I will always stay the same

Chorus:
But I'll hang around as long as you will let me
I never minded standing in the rain
You don't have to call me darlin', darlin'
But you never even call me by my name

No, you don't have to call me Freddy Fender
You don't have to call me Charlie Pride
You don't have to call me Merle Haggard anymore
Even though you know you're on my fighting side

Chorus- this verse only:
And I'm gonna hang around as long as you will let me
I never minded standing in the rain (when nights are cold and lonely)
You don't have to call me darlin', darlin'
But you never even call me by name.



I've seen my name, a few times in the phone book
And on the neon sign above the bar I used to own
And there's only one thing I'm really sure of was that sucker
You're gonna hear it when my savior calls me home

That's a lot to get into one song. We left out all the good stuff. Dallas, dope, divorce, dead dogs, trains prison Christmas, mothers, farms, and trucks. Mothers, prison, trucks, trains, farms, Christmas, and dead dogs are essential, you can't have a good country song without them things. And with all due respect this song needs mothers, prison, trucks, trains, farms, Christmas and dead dogs and is that it? Whatever it is - it's also 4 minutes long already (they're going 'when's he gonna end, when's he gonna end in the booth back there') So I'll just tack this verse on the end here-

Ever since the dog died and mama went to prison
Ain't nothin' round this old farm that's been the same
You know when mom broke out last Christmas
She drove the getaway laundry truck into a train

Chorus:
But I'll hang around as long as you will let me
I never minded standing in the rain
You don't have to call me darlin', darlin'
But you never even call me by my name

[newyawker99]

19. Congrats VancSouthpaw!! 900 posts

:toast:

[TheBigGuy]

10. yeah..right here...he is a gifted lyrcist...Americas Billy Bragg.

Hard to think of John Prine and Billy Bragg togther but they have a very similar wit and self-deprecating sensibiltiy in their songs.

I think Angel from Montogomery is probably his best song....

but I like Unwed Mothers too, And Paradise. and Sam Stone, and most everything hes done....he is THAT good....and way underrated.

Come Back to us, Barbara Lewis Hare Krishna Beauregard.

[KG]

15. prine is one for the ages.

aside from his spot on observations about life, can he make up a great song of or about nothing at all or what.

'We were standing, Standing by peaceful waters,
Standing by peaceful waters Whoa wah oh wha oh.....'

[Solly Mack]

16. Me, me me

Me. :)

[SweetZombieJesus]

17. I was raised on a steady diet of John Prine and Jerry Jeff Walker

So for the longest time, anything remotely country was anathema to me. Then I grew up and realized it wasn't all lame and white like the Eagles ;-)

[MaineDem]

20. I was just looking up JP CDs

How funny to see this thread here. I need to get a copy of "John Prine" the first album, I think. His best in my opinion.

[mitchum]

23. I think it may be his best also (and that's saying something)

"Sam Stone", "Angel from Montgomery" and "Paradise" were the first three songs he ever wrote. Incredible!

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

21. He rules. Bottom line, the man is a genius at story telling songs.

[nomaco-10]

22. I've been listening to him since 1971

His lyrics blow me away even to this day. He lives here in Nashville and I've had the pleasure to meet him once. I always likened him to the Bob Dylan of the south.

[NightTrain]

24. "Sam Stone" is a magnificent song...

...although my favorite version is by soul singer Swamp Dogg.

[proud patriot]

26. I saw John Prine at the Strawberry Music Festival

The greatest Festival I've ever attended , it's like a
mini Woodstock twice a year ....