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.
My Darlin
John Prine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a river that's calling to me
That river she runs all around
The place that I call my hometown
There's a valley on the side of the hill
And flowers on an old windowsill
A familiar old picture it seems
Where it's green in the summer
And gold in the fall
Her eyes are as blue
As the sky I recall
Far away over the sea
There's a place at the table for me
Where laughter and music abound
Just waiting there in my hometown
The river she freezes
When there's snow on the ground
And the children can slide
To the far side of town
Far away far away me
Hung up on a sweet memory
I'm lost and I wish I were found
In the arms of my darlin' hometown
With the evening sun sittin'
On the top of the hill
And the mockingbird answering
The old chapel bell
Far away over the sea
My heart is longing to be
And I wish I could lay myself down
In the arms of my darlin' hometown
John Prine’s song My Darlin’ Hometown is a nostalgic piece that conjures feelings of longing and reminiscence of one's childhood or hometown. It begins with him singing about a river that he's drawn to, which runs around his hometown. He describes the valley on the side of the hill, flowers on old windowsills, and a familiar picture that he dreams about visiting. The place he calls “my hometown” stays green in the summer, gold in the fall with blue skies and blue eyes, and laughter and music abound.
The song also touches on the change in seasons, the snowfall which causes the river to freeze and children to slide to the far side of town. It also speaks of the evening sun sitting atop the hill, the mockingbird’s singing and the old chapel bell ringing that one can hear from his place of reverence for his hometown. John’s passion for his hometown is palpable as he constantly wishes to be in the arms of his “darlin” hometown. This is a song that hits deep and is perfect during intimate moments like a picnic with your partner, in your room on a quiet weekend or on a morning walk.
Line by Line Meaning
Far away over the sea
Refers to a distant place beyond the sea
There's a river that's calling to me
The singer feels drawn to a river in that faraway place
That river she runs all around
The river surrounds the singer's hometown
The place that I call my hometown
The artist's hometown is associated with that river
There's a valley on the side of the hill
Describes a valley near the artist's hometown
And flowers on an old windowsill
There are flowers on a windowsill in the singer's hometown
A familiar old picture it seems
The scene is recognizable to the singer
And I'll go there tonight in my dreams
The artist longs to visit that scene in their sleep
Where it's green in the summer
The artist's hometown is lush and green during the summer
And gold in the fall
The artist's hometown has golden foliage during the autumn
Her eyes are as blue
Refers to someone or something with blue eyes
As the sky I recall
The color of the eyes resembles the artist's memories of a blue sky
There's a place at the table for me
The singer's hometown has a place for them at the dinner table
Where laughter and music abound
The singer's hometown is full of joy and music
Just waiting there in my hometown
The singer is eager to return to their hometown
The river she freezes
The river in the artist's hometown freezes during the winter
When there's snow on the ground
The river freezes when there is snow on the ground
And the children can slide
Children slide on the ice of the frozen river
To the far side of town
The frozen river allows the children to reach the far side of town easily
Far away far away me
The artist's thoughts are far away from their current location
Hung up on a sweet memory
The artist is nostalgically fixated on a pleasant memory
I'm lost and I wish I were found
The artist feels lost and longs for a sense of direction
In the arms of my darlin' hometown
The singer finds comfort in the embrace of their hometown
With the evening sun sittin'
Describes the sun in the evening
On the top of the hill
The sun is setting behind the hill
And the mockingbird answering
A mockingbird is chirping in response to something
The old chapel bell
The sound of the chapel bell can be heard
My heart is longing to be
The artist's heart yearns to be somewhere
And I wish I could lay myself down
The artist desires a peaceful rest
In the arms of my darlin' hometown
The singer craves the comfort of their hometown
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: John E Prine, Roger Frederick Cook
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tony Hybarger
In my hometown we used to gather together and listen and party to John Prine. What an incredible talent we sadly lost. R.I.P. John , thank you for the music & memories ❤️😥❤️
Mark Window
What a beautiful song.
Darla Eilers
This is the most beautiful song written about Ireland . As John explains a place they bought there 🥰
Sean Crowe
A little town in Co. Galway Ireland called Kinvara where John and his good Lady had a holiday home.
Daniel Bombero
During the midst of Covid, my mother died. We decided to have a simple graveside service for her. Her gravesite was literally within sight of the place where she was born and grew up. I sang this song as part of the service. Thank you, John Prine.
Antonio de Pádua
Este é Mr John 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Bill Munger
Goob job John, I wish you were still here!
Don Norman
Had tickets to Louisville show just after he passed.