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.
Be My Friend Tonight
John Prine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I bought all the tickets. They cancelled the game.
I give you my picture. It didn't fit your frame
Be my friend tonight
Be my friend tonight. Be my friend tonight.
Ill sleep on the couch. You can leave on that light.
Well, I won't do nothing wrong till you say its right
Now you bring the glasses and Ill bring the wine
Ill rub your shoulders just like they were mine
I won't make no passes till its passing time
If you're only gonna be my buddy tonight
Be my friend tonight. Be my friend tonight.
Ill sleep on the couch. You can leave on that light.
Well, I won't do nothing wrong till you say its right
Come on honey, be my friend tonight
Well, Ill mind my manners. My p's and q's
I won't give you nothing that you can't use
Ill whip out that old guitar and sing you the blues
Be my friend tonight
Be my friend tonight. Be my friend tonight.
Ill sleep on the couch. You can leave on that light.
Well, I won't do nothing wrong till you say its right
Come on honey, be my friend tonight
Be my friend tonight. be my friend tonight.
Ill sleep on the couch. You can leave on that light.
Well, I won't do nothing wrong till you say its right
Come on darling, be my friend tonight
Oh, come on honey, be my friend tonight
Please, be my friend tonight.
The lyrics of John Prine's song, Be My Friend Tonight, tell a tale of rejection and loneliness, with the singer questioning his friend's loyalty to him. The first verse describes how he throws a party, but nobody shows up, which represents a failed attempt at finding companionship. The second line, "I bought all the tickets. They cancelled the game" suggests that even when he tries to take control of the situation, he still finds himself alone. Then he tries to provide a picture of himself, but it doesn't fit his friend's frame, which symbolises the disconnect between the two. Despite this, the singer still hopes for his friend's companionship, asking them to be his friend for tonight.
The chorus emphasizes the singer's willingness to be respectful of boundaries, emphasising that he won't do anything wrong until his friend consents to it. He wants his friend to feel comfortable around him and hopes to gain their acceptance. In the final verse, the singer tries to impress his friend, vowing to behave correctly and not waste her time. He offers to play a song on his guitar and sing the blues, hoping to connect with his friend's emotions. The song ends with a plea for his friend to be his friend tonight.
Overall, the lyrics of the song illustrate the singer's longing for companionship, his low self-esteem, and his struggle to find meaningful relationships. He is willing to put in the effort and make compromises, but his attempts at connection fall short. Hence, he turns to his friend and asks her to be his friend for tonight.
Line by Line Meaning
I threw a party. Nobody came.
I wanted to have fun with friends, but they were a no-show.
I bought all the tickets. They cancelled the game.
I thought I planned a great event, but it fell apart.
I give you my picture. It didn't fit your frame
I offered myself to you, but you didn't see me the way I hoped.
Be my friend tonight
Despite everything that's happened, I'm still here and willing to spend time with you.
Be my friend tonight. Be my friend tonight.
I am pleading with you to spend some time with me, just as friends.
Ill sleep on the couch. You can leave on that light.
I'll be respectful of your space while we're hanging out.
Well, I won't do nothing wrong till you say its right
I want to make sure you feel comfortable, so I won't make any moves without your consent.
Come on honey, be my friend tonight
I really hope you'll agree to spend some time with me, in a platonic way.
Now you bring the glasses and Ill bring the wine
We can enjoy some drinks together, as two friends.
Ill rub your shoulders just like they were mine
I want to make you feel at ease in this moment.
I won't make no passes till its passing time
I won't try to flirt with you or make advances until there's a mutual connection.
If you're only gonna be my buddy tonight
I understand if it's only a one-time thing; I just want to relish in the moment.
Well, Ill mind my manners. My p's and q's
I'll be polite and courteous the entire duration of our hangout.
I won't give you nothing that you can't use
I won't do anything that would make you uncomfortable or feel disrespected.
Ill whip out that old guitar and sing you the blues
To make our time together more enjoyable, I'll play some music for us to enjoy.
Come on honey, be my friend tonight
I really hope you'll agree to spend some time with me, in a platonic way.
Please, be my friend tonight.
I'm asking nicely, please consider hanging out with me, just as friends.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: JOHN PRINE, ROGER F. COOK, SHEL SILVERSTEIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@paulnassif
RIP John Prine! Your music is a great friend to me! Thank You!
@ednaking8168
❤. I saw John Prine every time he played at the Paramount Theater in Austin! He was AWESOME ❤❤❤
@AFloridaSon
John Prine, writing the soundtrack to my life. I love these uploads. There's a lot of Prine classics that I've missed out on over the years. And yet, even though many of them, I'm hearing for the first time, they still remind me of my teenage years as a hoodlum - lol.
@paulatkinson4439
Well said, my friend.
@josephbradley139
Rest easy John your music will live on
@sassysalis1741
John Prine mi hermano!
@schiaccius1clay
Scratch is aimless in Sam "Serious" Stone
@MrTeapotpilot
I WIL CRY IF I WANT TO .OM