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.
How lucky
John Prine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One, two, three
Today I walked down the street I use to wander
Yeah, shook my head and made myself a bet
That there was all these things that I don't think I remember
Hey, how lucky can one man get?
Bronzed admiration in the blind spot of regret
There was all these things that I don't think I remember
Hey, how lucky can one man get?
Today I walked down the street I use to wander
Yeah, scratched my head and lit my cigarette
Well, there was all these things that I don't think I remember
Hey, how lucky can one man get?
Today I walked down the street I use to wander
Yeah, shook my head and made myself a bet
That there was all these things that I don't think I remember
Hey, how lucky can one man get?
Hey, how lucky can one man get?
Hey, how lucky can one man get?
In John Prine's song "How Lucky," the singer reflects on their past experiences as they walk down a street that they used to frequent. They express their feeling of disbelief at all the things that they have forgotten, questioning just how lucky they must be to have had so many experiences that they can't even remember them all. The singer uses some interesting imagery throughout the song to describe their feelings - for example, they say that they "bronzed [their] shoes and hung [them] from a rearview mirror," which can be interpreted as a reference to their old age and the fact that they are no longer able to wander the streets like they used to.
The song is ultimately about the fleeting nature of time, and how it is difficult to keep track of all the experiences that one has had throughout their life. The singer is in awe of the fact that they have been lucky enough to have so many experiences, but they are also somewhat saddened by the fact that they can't remember all of them. Overall, "How Lucky" is a poignant and introspective song that encourages listeners to appreciate the moments in their lives and cherish their memories before they fade away.
Line by Line Meaning
One, two
Counting in preparation for the start of the song
One, two, three
Final counting before starting the song
Today I walked down the street I use to wander
I took a stroll on the familiar path I had once frequented
Yeah, shook my head and made myself a bet
I expressed disbelief and wagered with myself
That there was all these things that I don't think I remember
There were numerous things that slipped from my memory
Hey, how lucky can one man get?
I am surprised and grateful for the good fortune I have received
I bronzed my shoes and hung from a rearview mirror
I preserved my shoes and put it on display as a souvenir
Bronzed admiration in the blind spot of regret
I feel admiration for the past, yet I regret not remembering all of it
Well, there was all these things that I don't think I remember
Once again, I acknowledge that there are things I cannot recall
Hey, how lucky can one man get?
I am still amazed by my good fortune
Hey, how lucky can one man get?
I express my amazement once more
Hey, how lucky can one man get?
I still can't believe how lucky I am
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: JOHN E PRINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind