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.
Forbidden Jimmy
John Prine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Has got a mighty sore tooth
From biting too many dimes
In a telephone booth
He's got half of his boot lace
Tied to the dial
Well thank you operator
"Call out the coast guard"
Screamed the police
Forbidden Jimmy
He's got three water skis
He put two on his wavelength
And gave one to his girl
She's a mighty fine person
It's a mighty fine world
I'm gonna make all your sorrows bright
Set your soul free
I'll see you tomorrow night
If I can still see
Ginger Caputo
And Dorian Gray
Oughta stay out of pictures
If they got nothin' to say
Stack 'em back on the rack Jack
Ya know, you're hurting my eye
Forbidden Jimmy
He's getting ready to fly
Gonna make all your sorrows bright
Set your soul free
I'll see you tomorrow night
If I can still see
I got caught cooking popcorn
And calling it hail
They wanna stick my head
Inside a water pail
Ya know, they're gonna be sorry
They're gonna pay for it too
Forbidden jimmy
He's coming straight at you
This song, like many of John Prine's works, is a convoluted narrative that manages to be funny and enigmatic at the same time. The singer is the titular character, Forbidden Jimmy, who seems to be in a state of constant rebellion against societal conventions. The opening lines refer to his sore tooth, which he got from biting too many dimes in a telephone booth. This bizarre habit is typical of Jimmy's devil-may-care attitude and his disdain for the mundane aspects of life.
In the next verse, Jimmy is experimenting with water-skiing, but once again, he's doing it in a way that is unconventional. He's got three water skis, two of which are for him, and one he gave to his girlfriend. This gesture is both romantic and characteristic of Jimmy's desire to break out of the mold. The rest of the song is a collection of seemingly unrelated vignettes, each of which has a surreal quality to it. The lines about Ginger Caputo and Dorian Gray suggest a cautionary tale. If you're going to put yourself out there, you'd better have something to say. The final lines are a defiant proclamation, an assertion that even though society may try to put him down, Forbidden Jimmy will continue to rebel.
Line by Line Meaning
Forbidden Jimmy
Introducing the character of Forbidden Jimmy
Has got a mighty sore tooth
Jimmy is currently enduring toothache
From biting too many dimes
The toothache is a result of biting too many coins, like dimes
In a telephone booth
He bit the coins in a phone booth
He's got half of his boot lace
Jimmy has half of his shoelace
Tied to the dial
He tied the shoelace on the phone dial
Well thank you operator
Jimmy thanks the telephone operator
For getting Jimmy to smile
The operator was able to make Jimmy smile despite his toothache
"Call out the coast guard"
The police call for help from the coast guard
Screamed the police
The police screamed the request for help
Forbidden Jimmy
Referring to Jimmy as forbidden
He's got three water skis
Jimmy owns three water skis
He put two on his wavelength
Jimmy is using two of the water skis for himself
And gave one to his girl
Jimmy gave one water ski to his girlfriend
She's a mighty fine person
Jimmy's girlfriend is a great person
It's a mighty fine world
The world is a great place where good people like Jimmy's girlfriend exist
I'm gonna make all your sorrows bright
Jimmy promises to bring happiness and joy to everyone he meets
Set your soul free
Jimmy will help people release their inner emotions and feelings
I'll see you tomorrow night
Jimmy plans to meet again with the person he's talking to the following night
If I can still see
Jimmy hopes he'll be able to see the person, indicating he may not be feeling well
Ginger Caputo
A person named Ginger Caputo
And Dorian Gray
Another person named Dorian Gray
Oughta stay out of pictures
Ginger and Dorian should avoid taking pictures
If they got nothin' to say
There's no reason for Ginger and Dorian to be in pictures if they have nothing to contribute
Stack 'em back on the rack Jack
A possible instruction for Jack to put something back on the rack
Ya know, you're hurting my eye
Jack's actions are causing someone pain and discomfort
Forbidden Jimmy
Referring to Jimmy as forbidden again
He's getting ready to fly
Jimmy is preparing to leave or take off
I got caught cooking popcorn
Jimmy is admitting to doing something wrong
And calling it hail
He disguised the popcorn as hail
They wanna stick my head
Authorities want to punish Jimmy
Inside a water pail
Jimmy's punishment may involve submerging his head in a water pail
Ya know, they're gonna be sorry
Those who want to punish Jimmy will regret their decision
They're gonna pay for it too
The people who want to punish Jimmy will face consequences for their actions
Forbidden jimmy
Referring to Jimmy as forbidden again
He's coming straight at you
Jimmy is approaching someone, possibly with the intent to take revenge
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