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.
Come Back to Us Barbara Lewis Hare Krishna Beauregard
John Prine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She was standing in the rain
With her overcoat under her arm
Leaning on a horse head cane
She said, "Carl, take all the money"
She called everybody
"Carl my spirit's broke
Don't you know her when you see her?
She grew up in your back yard
Come back to us Barbara Lewis
Hare Krishna Beauregard
Selling bibles at the airports
Buying Quaalude's on the phone
Hey, you talk about, a paper route
She's a shut in without a home
God save her, please she's nailed her knees
To some drugstore parking lot
Hey, Mr. Brown turn the volume down
I believe this evening's shot
Don't you know her when you see her?
She grew up in your back yard
Come back to us Barbara Lewis
Hare Krishna Beauregard
Can't you picture her next Thursday?
Can you picture her at all?
In the Hotel Boulderado
At the dark end of the hall
I gotta shake myself and wonder
Why she even bothers me
For if heartaches were commercials
We'd all be on TV
Don't you know her when you see her?
She grew up in your back yard
Come back to us Barbara Lewis
Hare Krishna Beauregard
The song Come Back to Us Barbara Lewis Hare Krishna Beauregard by John Prine tells the story of a woman named Barbara Lewis who is struggling with addiction and mental health issues. The first verse sets the scene of the last time the singer sees her, where she is despondent and leaning on a horse head cane. She tells the singer to take her money and laments how hard it is for her to get up. In the second verse, it is revealed that Barbara Lewis is living on the fringes of society, selling bibles and buying drugs. The third verse imagines her in a seedy hotel in a state of despair.
Overall, the song is a poignant commentary on the way we treat those who have fallen through the cracks in society. Barbara Lewis is not just an individual, but a symbol of the marginalized and forgotten. Prine's message is clear: we need to do more to support those who are struggling and show them the compassion they deserve.
Line by Line Meaning
The last time that I saw her
It was raining heavily and she was leaning on a horse head cane while carrying her overcoat under her arm.
She said, 'Carl, take all the money'
She gave away all her money and expressed her broken spirit and struggling mind to Carl and others around her.
My mind's a joke and getting up's real hard
She was depressed and finding it extremely difficult to cope with life.
Don't you know her when you see her?
The artist is asking if people recognize her, implying that she has changed drastically from who she once was.
She grew up in your back yard
She was a familiar figure in the community and known by many.
Come back to us Barbara Lewis
The singer is reaching out to her and asking her to return back to her friends and family.
Selling bibles at the airports
She was trying to make a living by selling bibles at the airports.
Buying Quaalude's on the phone
She was taking Quaalude's and buying them over the phone.
She's a shut in without a home
She was housebound, and did not have a proper place to live.
God save her, please she's nailed her knees
She was praying for help and had knelt down in distress.
To some drugstore parking lot
She was in a car parked outside a drugstore.
Hey, Mr. Brown turn the volume down
The artist is addressing someone named Mr. Brown and requesting him to lower the volume.
I believe this evening's shot
The singer thinks that the moment or situation is hopeless.
Can't you picture her next Thursday?
The singer is asking the listener to imagine Barbara Lewis in the near future.
At the dark end of the hall
She was at the end of a dark hallway, probably trying to hide or avoid contact.
I gotta shake myself and wonder
The artist is puzzled and tries to reflect upon why Barbara's problems are affecting him.
If heartaches were commercials
The artist is comparing people's hardships to commercials that always seem to be on TV.
We'd all be on TV
The singer is suggesting that everyone has their problems and would be on TV if heartaches were shown.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN PRINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@buddyrogers1353
@ Ananda 1958 - Agreed, but I think you are overlooking the significance of "Barbara Lewis". This wasn't just any name he picked at random. Lewis was a popular singer in the early to mid-1960s who had a huge hit with "Hello Stranger" in 1963. Her career got lost soon after the real 1960s began with the Kennedy assassination on Nov 22, 1963 and the Beatles breaking on the radio a month later. It can not be denied everything changed after that.
Using Lewis and this song, Prine is citing the period in time to just before the 60s revolution began and lamenting how everyone and everything had radically changed in the manner you cited. There was also a feeling by the over-30s, whom we were told not to trust, who'd get a hold of us, give us "a talk", then say; "I think I talked some sense into the kid."
Hello Stranger - Barbara Lewis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3Y1O9eVKRs
Hello, stranger
(ooh) It seems so good to see you back again
How long has it been?
(ooh, seems like a mighty long time)
(shoo-bop, shoo-bop, my baby, ooh)
It seems like a mighty long time
Oh-uh-oh, I my, my, my, m
I'm so glad
You stopped by to say "hello" to me
Remember that's the way it used to be
Ooh, it seems like a mighty long time
(shoo-bop, shoo-bop, my baby, ooh)
Oh-uh-oh
I'm so glad you're here again
Oh-uh-oh
Shoo-bop, shoo-bop, my baby
Shoo-bop, shoo-bop, my baby
Oh-ahh-uh-oh
If you're not gonna stay
(ooh) Please don't treat me like you did before
Because I still love you so a-a-although
It seems like a mighty long time
Shoo-bop, shoo-bop, my baby, ooh
It seems like a mighty long time
Oh-uh-oh, I my, my, my, my
I'm so happy that you're here again
(shoo-bop, shoo-bop, my baby)
@mariewhite6804
This song makes a lot of sense to me! I used to sing it a lot when my daughter was caught up in a cult with "The Rama". I used to long for her to "come back to us" and finally she did.
@bc1885bc
Hallelujah 🙏
@lhartatt
Five grandchildren. I hope none of them ever go that route. So far, no signs of it.
@ronspivey5975
My favorite line in my history of the awareness of songwriting.....If Heartaches Were Commercials We’ed All Be On TV. Thank you John Prine.
@RemingtonRidersMusic
That is a great line, Ron. The whole song is composed of great lines.
@mattmarino9300
My favorite is “My spirits broke my minds a joke, and getting up is real hard” but yeah pick any line from this one
@davidmacgregor2489
I've always loved the absolute randomness of "She called everybody Carl".
@BOOMNERD51
Always a favorite of mine. Makes plenty of sense. Born in '51 lots of friends went through some scary changes. John's reaching out as always.
@happyoldman1277
Just about the most moving song I know. Wonderful to hear John Prine sing it back when his voice still had an occasional snarl in it.
@JBCo2012
Will never forget Bonnie singing this with John at the old Capitol Theatre in Passaic,NJ and the look of ABSOLUTE JOY in BOTH their EYES!They LOVED each other and WE LOVED THEM BOTH and we STILL DO FOREVER!