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.
Me Myself and I
John Prine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I know who I'll invite
There's a strange and lonely person
With whom I'll spend this night
There'll be no old sad memories
To haunt me till I die
In that room there'll be a bottle
And me, myself and I
And me, myself and I
I've been introduced to many
People I don't understand
I've been in the house of lonely.
I've shook a thousand shaking hands
But tonight I'll be with someone
Who will look me in the eye
And in that room there'll be a bottle
And me, myself and I
In that room there'll be a bottle
And me, myself and I
At that party you'll see me when I was just a child
In a room full of happy with a heart so meek and mild
And that child will meet a ghost that will haunt him oh so bad
From a family of confusion pretending love they never had.
So, tonight I'll throw that party
And I know just what I'll do
Yes, I'll meet myself at midnight
And cry the whole night through
Yeah, I'll meet that ghost of sadness
And he'll look me in the eye
And in that room there'll be that bottle
And me, myself and I
In that room there'll be a bottle
And me, myself and I
The lyrics of John Prine's song Me Myself And I are about an individual who is throwing a party for themselves, where the only guests are a bottle of alcohol and their own company. The singer explains that they have been introduced to many people in their life that they don’t understand, and that they have been in the “house of lonely,” where they have shaken a thousand hands. But for this party, they want to be with someone who can look them in the eye – themselves. The singer is seeking to confront their own emotions and past traumas, including a family of confusion and a ghost of sadness, which will cause them to cry throughout the whole night. Ultimately, the song is about the importance of facing one’s emotions and finding solace in the company of oneself.
The imagery and metaphorical language of the song are powerful, conveying a sense of loneliness, isolation, and struggle that many people can relate to. The idea of throwing a party for oneself and exploring one’s own emotions is a unique and creative concept, showcasing John Prine's ability to use music as a form of storytelling. The song’s slow, melancholy melody adds to the introspective tone of the lyrics, creating a poignant and contemplative mood.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, tonight I'll throw a party
Tonight, I will host a gathering
And I know who I'll invite
I am aware of whom I will welcome
There's a strange and lonely person
There's an odd and solitary individual
With whom I'll spend this night
With whom I'll pass these hours
There'll be no old sad memories
There won't be any sorrowful recollections
To haunt me till I die
To linger with me till my demise
In that room there'll be a bottle
In that space, there will be a container preserving liquid
And me, myself and I
And only me, acting as three different entities
I've been introduced to many
I have been acquainted with numerous individuals
People I don't understand
Individuals whom I find difficult to comprehend
I've been in the house of lonely.
I have experienced solitude.
I've shook a thousand shaking hands
I've greeted countless hands with a shake
But tonight I'll be with someone
However, tonight I shall accompany someone
Who will look me in the eye
A person who will maintain eye contact with me
And in that room there'll be a bottle
Moreover, in that space, there will be a container preserving liquid
And me, myself and I
And only me, acting as three different entities
At that party you'll see me when I was just a child
During this event, you may encounter me when I was a novice.
In a room full of happy with a heart so meek and mild
In a chamber teeming with joy, exhibiting a feeble and docile temperament
And that child will meet a ghost that will haunt him oh so bad
Subsequently, that juvenile will encounter a phantom that will trouble them considerably
From a family of confusion pretending love they never had.
Originating from a perplexing clan, pretending to hold emotions they never truly felt.
So, tonight I'll throw that party
Hence, tonight I shall host that gathering
And I know just what I'll do
And I know precisely what actions I shall perform
Yes, I'll meet myself at midnight
Certainly, I will encounter myself at midnight
And cry the whole night through
And shed tears during the entire night
Yeah, I'll meet that ghost of sadness
Yes, I will encounter that somber phantom
And he'll look me in the eye
And it will make eye contact with me
And in that room there'll be that bottle
And also, within that space, there will be that container preserving liquid
And me, myself and I
And only me, acting as three different entities
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: ALLAN ROBERTS, ALVIN S KAUFMAN, IRVING GORDON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Timberbanktunes
The best thing that John Prine did was to start his own record label with Aimless Love being the first full album release. Loved getting his (and Steve Goodman's) records in the mail. The Grandfather of the independent label!
J Nagarya
How narrow and isolated ust one be to believe everything began with John Prine? "Grandfather of of the independent label"!? "The Beatles" founded their independent label "Apple" in 1968. And they weren't likely the first to do so.
Sassy Salis
Si, John eres magíco
Stephen Jules Rubin
si es!
Robert Ferguson III
lifelong fan here💯 we love ya John! Central Cantuckee
A Florida Son
John, you know me too well. Thank you, for being you.
Stephen Jules Rubin
another hidden Prine gem
Crystal Pope
Hey, I know that ghost! Love you, John. Bless you.
jordanthecat
I never heard you play this song in concert.
J. Brian Clemons
I been to that party, saw a few people I know.