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.
Maureen Maureen
John Prine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I shot a doctor last night on the airplane
Well, they said he wouldn't hurt us
But he got me real nervous and mean
He was fat and he stank
And God knows that he drank more than we do
So I shot him in the first class
Then I bailed out and ran home to you
[Chorus]
But you don't believe me
I could tell by your smile
Honey, why don't you leave me
Get lost for awhile, Maureen.
Maureen, Maureen,
There's a hole in between where we come from
And the things that I'm thinking
Ain't necessary the things that I say
I may have lied to myself
But I tried to tell God how I love you
But even He don't answer
His phone anymore when I pray
Maureen, Maureen,
I shot a doctor last night on the airplane
Well, they said he wouldn't hurt us
But he got me real nervous and mean
Real nervous and mean
"Maureen Maureen" is a song by John Prine that tells the story of a person who confesses to shooting a doctor on an airplane out of fear and paranoia. The singer describes the doctor as obese, drunk and smelly, and the fear escalates to the point where he feels the need to take action. However, when he returns home to tell Maureen what happened, she doesn't believe him and instead suggests that he leave for a while. The chorus repeats "Maureen, Maureen" as an expression of the singer's desperation and his attempt to find comfort in her.
The song has been interpreted in different ways, with some suggesting that it is an allegory for the irrational fear that some people have towards immigrants or anyone who appears different from them. Others see it as a commentary on the effects of long-term stress and anxiety on mental health, or a reflection of how the fear of the unknown can sometimes push people to take drastic measures.
Line by Line Meaning
Maureen, Maureen,
The singer is calling out to Maureen, his partner.
I shot a doctor last night on the airplane
The singer claims to have killed a doctor on a flight the previous night.
Well, they said he wouldn't hurt us
The airline staff assured passengers that the doctor posed no threat.
But he got me real nervous and mean
Despite assurances, the artist was nervous and agitated due to the doctor's presence.
He was fat and he stank
The artist disliked the doctor's physical appearance and hygiene.
And God knows that he drank more than we do
The singer suspects that the doctor had a drinking problem.
So I shot him in the first class
The singer claims to have killed the doctor in the first-class section of the plane.
Then I bailed out and ran home to you
The artist fled the scene and went home to Maureen.
[Chorus]
This marks the beginning of the chorus, expressing the artist's need for Maureen's support.
But you don't believe me
Maureen is skeptical of the artist's story.
I could tell by your smile
The singer can tell that Maureen doesn't believe him from her smile.
Honey, why don't you leave me
The artist feels guilty and suggests that Maureen should leave him because of what he did.
Get lost for awhile, Maureen.
The singer tells Maureen to go away for a while.
There's a hole in between where we come from
The singer feels that there is a disconnect between himself and Maureen due to their different backgrounds and experiences.
And the things that I'm thinking
The singer is struggling to express his thoughts and feelings.
Ain't necessary the things that I say
The artist finds it hard to articulate his thoughts and often says things he doesn't mean.
I may have lied to myself
The artist is unsure if he has been lying to himself about his feelings for Maureen.
But I tried to tell God how I love you
The singer has tried to express his love for Maureen to God.
But even He don't answer
The singer feels like God isn't listening.
His phone anymore when I pray
This line is a metaphor, suggesting that God isn't communicating with the artist anymore.
Real nervous and mean
This line is repeated from earlier in the song, emphasizing the artist's agitated state and the impact it has had on him.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: JOHN E. PRINE, JOHN E PRINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Maureen Sanday
Thank you for the beautiful song. From one Maureen to another.
william edwards
only john could write a song as honest as this god we miss him
Michael Martin
I've never stopped playing John prine music since I first herd him on a cassette in 1985 , it is now 2022 just as good now as he was then. Thanks John for your great songs and your great voice! Will continue playing your songs until the end? R I P.
robert nickel
What an incredible mind to come up with a song like this. Well never ever see another like John Prine.
Free Free SPEECH
Theres a song for everything, you remember. Thanks john prine.
Sassy Salis
No pasa un solo dia sin escuchar una su poesia.
perry scott
Thank you for posting more Prine. The world needs more Prine!!
Edi Camon
It's true, John is an universal phenomenon.
Maureen Laverty
Great song. Love Prine
Kathryn L Bailor
Beautiful, beautiful song