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.
Linda Goes To Mars
John Prine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every time I sit and look at pictures of used cars
She'll turn on her radio and sit down in her chair
And look at me across the room, as if I wasn't there
Chorus:
Oh my stars! my linda's gone to mars
Well I wish she wouldn't leave me here alone
Well, I wonder if she'd bring me something home.
Something, somewhere, somehow took my linda by the hand
And secretly decoded our sacred wedding band
For when the moon shines down up on our happy, humble home
Her inner space gets tortured by some outer space unknown.
Repeat chorus:
Now I ain't seen no saucers 'cept the ones upon the shelf
And if I ever seen one I'd keep it to myself
For if there's life out there somewhere beyond this life on earth
Then linda must have gone out there and got her money's worth.
Repeat chorus:
Yeah, I wonder if she'd bring me something home.
The meaning of John Prine's song "Linda Goes to Mars" is open to interpretation. The first line reveals that the singer of the song, presumably male, just found out that his partner Linda goes to Mars. Linda's journey to Mars is likely a metaphor for her getting lost in her own thoughts or imagination, as she listens to the radio and ignores her partner. The singer feels neglected and disconnected from Linda, as she seems to be in her own world.
The chorus reflects the singer's emotional turmoil. He wishes Linda wouldn't leave him alone and wonders what she might bring back from her journey. The second verse depicts Linda's departure as something that has been decoded and caused a rift in their relationship. The use of the phrase "sacred wedding band" suggests that Linda's journey to Mars may have caused a breakdown in the couple's marriage or relationship.
The final verse acknowledges that the singer has never seen any evidence of alien life, but if it does exist, Linda has likely gone to explore it. The song concludes with the singer once again wondering what Linda might bring back from her adventure.
Line by Line Meaning
I just found out yesterday that linda goes to mars
The singer discovered recently that Linda imagines a life where she goes to Mars.
Every time I sit and look at pictures of used cars
The singer is reminded of Linda's imagined life on Mars when he looks at used car pictures.
She'll turn on her radio and sit down in her chair
Linda listens to the radio and sits in her favorite chair as she daydreams about going to Mars.
And look at me across the room, as if I wasn't there
Linda appears distant and disconnected from the artist, lost in her own thoughts of space exploration.
Oh my stars! my linda's gone to mars
The artist expresses surprise and sadness that Linda has mentally disappeared into space.
Well I wish she wouldn't leave me here alone
The singer wishes Linda would stay mentally present and involved with him, remaining grounded on earth.
Well, I wonder if she'd bring me something home.
The singer wonders if Linda would come back from her made-up world and bring him some souvenirs.
Something, somewhere, somehow took my linda by the hand
The artist doesn't understand why Linda became so obsessed with space.
And secretly decoded our sacred wedding band
Linda may have discovered something in the symbolism of their wedding band that led her to imagine a space odyssey.
For when the moon shines down up on our happy, humble home
The artist observes that Linda is influenced by the moon, which seems to make her dream of going to space stronger.
Her inner space gets tortured by some outer space unknown.
Something deep in Linda's psyche is driving her to explore outer space, and the desire is almost painful for her.
Now I ain't seen no saucers 'cept the ones upon the shelf
The artist has not experienced any real-life alien encounters or sightings, and only has decorative alien saucers on a shelf.
And if I ever seen one I'd keep it to myself
The singer is hesitant to share his own experiences or beliefs about aliens, to avoid ridicule or disbelief from others.
For if there's life out there somewhere beyond this life on earth
The singer is open to the possibility of extraterrestrial life, but doesn't actively search for it like Linda does.
Then linda must have gone out there and got her money's worth.
The singer accepts that Linda's imagination and curiosity probably led her to explore the vastness of the universe, mentally.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: JOHN E. PRINE, JOHN E PRINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@peterponomarenko4253
I am here because John Prine passed away today and because of Bill Murray's reference to this song. And all I can say is - thank you both.
@dleeliv
Me too
@DanDeLeoninthefield
Same here on both
@brianspalding3065
Peter Ponomarenko same!
@rhip99
Me too! Thank God Bill's still here.
@peterponomarenko4253
@@rhip99 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9TvFkiLLMo
@kencurry1416
There will never be another John Prine. Although thousands have made thousands with this style they never could get to to the top of the John Prine ladder! NEVER!
@jimfeeley6364
What a huge loss. John Prine was one of this world's most talented artists. His voice is better than any therapy session. Rest in peace John.
@6cave
"I wonder if she'll bring me something home." Married almost 40 years, and that line (in the context of the song) cracks me up like no other.
@redhall4178
I will never stop missing John Prine