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.
It's a Big Old Goofy World
John Prine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Work like a dog
Is better than sitting
Like a bump on a log
Mind all your manners
Be quiet as a mouse
Some day you'll own a home
That's as big as a house
I know a fella
He eats like a horse
Knocks his old balls
Round the old golf course
You oughta see his wife
She's a cute little dish
She smokes like a chimney
And drinks like a fish
There's a big old goofy man
Dancing with a big old goofy girl
Ooh baby
It's a big old goofy world
Now Elvis had a woman
With a head like a rock
I wished I had a woman
That made my knees knock
She'd sing like an angel
And eat like a bird
And if I wrote a song
She'd know ever single word
Kiss a little baby
Give the world a smile
If you take an inch
Give 'em back a mile
Cause if you lie like a rug
And you don't give a damn
You're never gonna be
As happy as a clam
So I'm sitting in a hotel
Trying to write a song
My head is just as empty
As the day is long
Why it's clear as a bell
I should have gone to school
I'd be wise as an owl
Stead of stubborn as a mule.
The lyrics present a lighthearted and somewhat comedic look at various aspects of life. The first stanza talks about the importance of hard work and good manners, but also hints at the idea of the American dream, that through hard work one's endeavors lead to owning a big house. The next stanza talks about a man who eats too much, drinks too much, and plays too much golf but still has a cute little wife. This juxtaposition of the absurdity of the man's actions with the image of his wife being conventionally attractive and charming is meant to be humorous. The following stanza talks about Elvis Presley's ideal woman and how the singer wishes he had someone who could sing beautifully and be like a graceful bird when it comes to eating. In the next few stanzas, the lyrics emphasize the importance of being kind, giving, and honest as well as being educated in order to be truly wise.
The central point of the song is that life is complicated, and many people behave in ways that are often contradictory, yet this is what makes the world "big old goofy." John Prine offers a humorous take on life's absurdities, emphasizing the importance of enjoying life and finding humor in the situations we encounter.
Line by Line Meaning
Up in the morning
Starting the day early
Work like a dog
Work hard to achieve your dreams
Is better than sitting
Being active is better than being idle
Like a bump on a log
And doing nothing at all
Mind all your manners
Be polite and respectful
Be quiet as a mouse
Stay calm and silent in certain situations
Some day you'll own a home
Working hard enough will eventually pay off
That's as big as a house
And you'll end up with assets worth owning
I know a fella
I know someone who
He eats like a horse
He has a big appetite
Knocks his old balls
Golfs often and enjoys it
Round the old golf course
All around his favorite place
You oughta see his wife
You should see the woman he's married to
She's a cute little dish
She's an attractive woman
She smokes like a chimney
She smokes frequently
And drinks like a fish
She drinks alcohol frequently
There's a big old goofy man
There's a silly man out there
Dancing with a big old goofy girl
Dancing with someone equally silly
Ooh baby
Showing excitement and enthusiasm
It's a big old goofy world
It's a world full of silly and comical things
Now Elvis had a woman
Now Elvis had himself an exciting woman
With a head like a rock
But someone who was stubborn and difficult
I wished I had a woman
I also wish I had someone like that
That made my knees knock
Who makes me weak in the knees
She'd sing like an angel
Who has an enchanting voice
And eat like a bird
But has limited food consumption
And if I wrote a song
And if I could express my feelings in music
She'd know ever single word
She'd understand every single thing I'm trying to say
Kiss a little baby
Spread love and kindness to children
Give the world a smile
Be positive and make someone's day
If you take an inch
If you accept something small
Give 'em back a mile
Return the favor in a grand way
Cause if you lie like a rug
Because if you're dishonest
And you don't give a damn
And you don't care about others or their feelings
You're never gonna be
You'll never be truly happy or content
As happy as a clam
As happy as an ocean clam who's safe and content in their shell
So I'm sitting in a hotel
So I find myself at a hotel
Trying to write a song
Attempting to create some new music
My head is just as empty
My mind is completely blank
As the day is long
As there are hours left in the day
Why it's clear as a bell
It's very evident
I should have gone to school
I should have pursued education
I'd be wise as an owl
And would have gained a lot of knowledge and insight
Stead of stubborn as a mule.
Instead of being difficult and unyielding
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: John E Prine
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@marlyndataylor2925
He was a wise man from a very young age. Some of his most profound lyrics were written as young man. What an old soul he was in this world.
@anelladambrosio2513
@@marcosbryant8646ciao Marco!🙋😊😍😘💘🌅
@sharonscott3999
Absolutely! He had a great sense of humor!
@RhondaB4thesong
@@marcosbryant8646He feels like your BROTHER* Every word is *perfect, every line making perfect sense. Tag, your it.🎉🎉❤
@mechcavandy986
He was 25 when he wrote “Hello In There.” ♥️🤠
@wendykondo201
You sang me through some of the worst times of my life...and will sing me through this unbelievable horrific Pandemic. RIP and give my Mum a hug...she passed on March 28th at the sweet age of 95. Give her a hug and a song. We love you so much!
@LittleHughie
🙏♥️
@melindagadams6203
Get well you big ole goofy man. Thank you for being part of the soundtrack of my life.
@mprekrut
25 years ago I used to dance to this song with my 5 year old daughter. Last year she chose this song for the Father/Daughter dance at her wedding and I was so pleased that she remembered it and proud to dance again with her to this song in front of all the wedding guests. John Prine has always been my favorite performer and I have been lucky to see him live a number of times. I saw him in Boston last year and he is better than ever. Thank you John.
@mattdatha
I can only hope to have the same experience as you!