Born and raised in Maywood, Illinois, Prine learned to play the guitar at age 14. He attended classes at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music. After serving in West Germany with the U.S. Army, he returned to Chicago in the late 1960s, where he worked as a mailman, writing and singing songs first as a hobby and then as a club performer.
A member of Chicago's folk revival, a laudatory review by critic Roger Ebert built Prine's popularity. Singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson heard Prine at Steve Goodman's insistence, and Kristofferson invited Prine to be his opening act, leading to Prine's eponymous debut album with Atlantic Records in 1971. The acclaim Prine earned from his first LP led to three more albums for Atlantic. He then recorded three albums with Asylum Records. In 1981, he co-founded Oh Boy Records, an independent label where he released most of his subsequent albums.
Widely cited as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation, Prine was known for humorous lyrics about love, life, and current events, as well as serious songs with social commentary and songs that recollect sometimes melancholy tales from his life.
Prine was the son of William Mason Prine, a tool-and-die maker, and Verna Valentine (Hamm), a homemaker, both originally from Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. He was born and raised in the Chicago suburb of Maywood. In summers, they would go back to visit family near Paradise, Kentucky. Prine started playing guitar at age 14, taught by his brother, David. He attended classes at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music, and graduated from Proviso East High School in Maywood, Illinois. He was a U.S. Postal Service mailman for five years and was drafted into the United States Army during the Vietnam War era, serving as a vehicle mechanic in West Germany before beginning his musical career in Chicago.
Prine is widely regarded as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation. He has been referred to as "the Mark Twain of songwriting".
Johnny Cash, in his autobiography Cash, wrote, "I don't listen to music much at the farm, unless I'm going into songwriting mode and looking for inspiration. Then I'll put on something by the writers I've admired and used for years—Rodney Crowell, John Prine, Guy Clark, and the late Steve Goodman are my Big Four ..."
Roger Waters, when asked by Word Magazine in 2008 if he heard Pink Floyd's influence in newer British bands such as Radiohead, replied, "I don't really listen to Radiohead. I listened to the albums and they just didn't move me in the way, say, John Prine does. His is just extraordinarily eloquent music—and he lives on that plane with Neil [Young] and [John] Lennon." He later named Prine as among the five most important songwriters.
Prine's influence is seen in the work of younger artists, whom he often mentored, including Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, Brandi Carlile, Sturgill Simpson, Kacey Musgraves, Margo Price, Tyler Childers, and Robin Pecknold.
The last song Prine recorded before he died was "I Remember Everything", released on June 12, 2020, alongside a music video. It was released following the two-hour special tribute show, A Tribute Celebrating John Prine aired on June 11, 2020, which featured Sturgill Simpson, Vince Gill, Jason Isbell, Kacey Musgraves, Bonnie Raitt, Rita Wilson, Eric Church, Brandi Carlile and many other country artists and friends.[45] On the first night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Prine singing "I Remember Everything" was the soundtrack to the COVID-19 memorial video.
Aw Heck
John Prine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Long as I got my woman
I could run stark naked and live in and old oak tree
Just as long as she's with me
My woman.
The cannibals can catch me and fry me in a pan
Long as I got my woman
Long as she's sittin' in my lap
My woman.
I'd run a mile, just to see her smile
And put her lovin arms, around my neck
Aw heck
My spine starts a tingling, and bells start a ringling
When she's with me, can't you see.
They could torture me and stretch me like a rubber band
Long as I got my woman
I could jump off a cliff and never have no fear
Just as long as she is near
My woman.
The lyrics to John Prine's "Aw Heck" seem to describe a love that is all-consuming and all-encompassing, with the singer stating that he would be as happy as a sardine in a can as long as he has his woman. He goes on to say that he would be willing to endure anything, from being fried in a pan by cannibals to being electrocuted on a phony charge, as long as his woman is with him. He even says that he would jump off a cliff without fear, as long as she is near.
The singer's obsession with his woman is so intense that he describes feeling physical sensations when she is with him - his spine tingles and bells ring. It seems that his love for her is both uplifting and overwhelming, to the point where he would do anything to keep her by his side. With such vivid imagery and a heartfelt delivery, John Prine's "Aw Heck" is a touching tribute to the power of love.
Line by Line Meaning
I could be as happy as a sardine in a can
I am beyond content as long as I am with my woman
Long as I got my woman
As long as I have my woman, everything is alright
I could run stark naked and live in an old oak tree
I could endure uncomfortable living conditions as long as my woman is by my side
Just as long as she's with me
As long as my woman is with me, I can face any challenge
My woman.
Her presence in my life is invaluable
The cannibals can catch me and fry me in a pan
My woman's love is so strong, I will face any danger and yet feel safe
I could get the electric chair for a phony rap
Even if I were wrongly accused and sentenced to death, I would still be happy as long as my woman was with me
Long as she's sittin' in my lap
As long as my woman is in my arms, everything else fades away
My woman.
Her love is the anchor to my soul
I'd run a mile, just to see her smile
I will go the extra mile just to see my woman happy
And put her loving arms, around my neck
Her embrace is where I find comfort
Aw heck
Sometimes words cannot express how much she means to me
My spine starts tingling, and bells start ringling
Her presence sends a thrilling sensation throughout my whole body
When she's with me can't you see.
I only need my woman - she's my everything
They could torture me and stretch me like a rubber band
Nothing can break me down as long as my woman is by my side
Just as long as she is near
As long as my woman is close, I have the strength to face any trial
My woman.
She's everything to me
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: JOHN E. PRINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind