John Edward Prine (October 10, 1946 – April 7, 2020) was an American singer… Read Full Bio ↴John Edward Prine (October 10, 1946 – April 7, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. He was active as a composer, recording artist, live performer, and occasional actor from the early 1970s until his death. He was known for an often humorous style of original music that has elements of protest and social commentary.

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.

Pistol Packin' Mama
John Prine Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Lay that pistol down, babe, lay that pistol down
Pistol packin' mama, lay that pistol down

Oh, drinkin beer in a cabaret, was I havin' fun
Until one night she caught me right and now I'm on the run
Lay that pistol down, babe, lay that pistol down
Pistol packin' mama, lay that pistol down

Oh, I'll sing you every night, babe, and I'll woo you every day
I'll be your regular mama and I'll put that gun away
Oh, lay that pistol down, babe, lay that pistol down
Pistol packin' mama, lay that thing down before it goes off and hurts somebody

Oh, she kicked out my windshield and she hit me over the head
She cussed and cried and said I lied and she wished that I was dead
Oh, lay that pistol down, babe, lay that pistol down
Pistol packin' mama, lay that pistol down

We're three tough gals from deep down Texas way
We got no pals, they don't like the way we play
We're a rough rootin' tootin' shootin' trio
But you ought to see my sister Cleo

She's a terror make no error
But there ain't no nicer terror
Here's what we tell her
Lay that pistol down, babe, lay that pistol down
Pistol packin' mama, lay that pistol down

Pappy made a batch of corn, the revenuers came
The draught was slow, so now they know you can't do that to Mame
Lay that pistol down, babe, lay that pistol down
Pistol packin' mama, lay that pistol down

Oh, singing songs in a cabaret, was I havin' fun
Until one night it didn't seem right, and now I'm on the run
Lay that pistol down, babe, lay that pistol down
Pistol packin' mama, lay that pistol down

Oh, pistol packin mama, lay that pistol down

Overall Meaning

The song "Pistol Packin' Mama" by John Prine is a story about a man who was having fun drinking beer in a cabaret until he was caught by a pistol-packin' woman. He is now on the run and asks her to lay down her pistol to avoid hurting somebody. In the next verse, the man sings that he will sing to her every night and woo her every day in exchange for putting her gun away. However, in the last verse, it is revealed that the woman is actually one of three tough gals from deep down Texas who like to shoot and root. They have no friends, but they don't care, and they advise their friend to lay that pistol down.

The lyrics signify how a seemingly harmless night of drinking in a cabaret can end up badly if one is not cautious. It also shows the power dynamic of a pistol in a female's hand and how it can change the relationship between two people if not handled correctly. The line "lay that pistol down before it goes off and hurts somebody" warns the woman that the firearm in her possession can lead to violence and mayhem if she is not careful.

Line by Line Meaning

Lay that pistol down, babe, lay that pistol down
The singer is advising someone to put her gun down

Pistol packin' mama, lay that pistol down
The singer repeats his request for the woman to put her gun down

Oh, drinkin beer in a cabaret, was I havin' fun
The singer is reminiscing about a fun night at a bar

Until one night she caught me right and now I'm on the run
The woman caught the singer doing something wrong and now he's running from her

Oh, I'll sing you every night, babe, and I'll woo you every day
The singer promises to sing and woo the woman every day

I'll be your regular mama and I'll put that gun away
The singer promises to be a good partner and asks the woman to put her gun down

Oh, lay that pistol down, babe, lay that pistol down
The singer repeats his request for the woman to put her gun down

Pistol packin' mama, lay that thing down before it goes off and hurts somebody
The singer warns the woman to put her gun down before someone gets hurt

Oh, she kicked out my windshield and she hit me over the head
The woman attacked the singer by kicking his windshield and hitting him over the head

She cussed and cried and said I lied and she wished that I was dead
The woman got angry and accused the singer of lying; she even wished he was dead

We're three tough gals from deep down Texas way
The singer introduces a group of women from Texas

We got no pals, they don't like the way we play
The women have no friends because people don't like their behavior

We're a rough rootin' tootin' shootin' trio
The women are tough shooters

But you ought to see my sister Cleo
The singer wants to show off her sister Cleo

She's a terror make no error
Cleo is a tough woman to deal with

But there ain't no nicer terror
However, Cleo is still a nice person

Here's what we tell her
The singer is about to give advice to Cleo

Pappy made a batch of corn, the revenuers came
The women's father made some moonshine and the police came to confiscate it

The draught was slow, so now they know you can't do that to Mame
The moonshine was not being produced quickly, so the police realized they cannot mess with the women's mother, Mame

Oh, singing songs in a cabaret, was I havin' fun
The singer is reminiscing about another fun night at a bar

Until one night it didn't seem right, and now I'm on the run
Something bad happened one night and now the singer is running from it

Oh, pistol packin mama, lay that pistol down
The singer once again repeats his request for the woman to put her gun down

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Al Dexter

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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