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.
Safety Joe
John Prine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And he never got too sad
But he never got too happy
And that's what's just too bad
He never reached much further
Than his lonely arms would go
He wore a seatbelt around his heart
Safety Joe, Safety Joe
(Safety Joe, Safety Joe)
What do you say? What do you know?
If you don't loosen up the buckle
On your heart and start to chuckle
You're gonna die of boredom, Safety Joe
Now, Joe he lived in Baltimore
'Cause New York was too darn fast
He sometimes went down to Washington
Just to view our nation's past
He never ate his vegetables
'Cause they were just too darn chewy
And he never climbed much higher
Than the arch in old St. Louis
Safety Joe, Safety Joe
(Safety Joe, Safety Joe)
What do you say? What do you know?
If you don't loosen up the buckle
On your heart and start to chuckle
Well, you're gonna die of boredom, Safety Joe
Where's that mandolin?
It's the chorus
Joe gradually grew meaner
By not changin' his demeanor
But he never did nothin'
Too much for too long
Therefore his life never got much richer
Than the day they took that picture
In his birthday suit
On the day that he was born
Safety Joe, Safety Joe
(Safety Joe, Safety Joe)
What do you say? What do you know?
If you don't loosen up the buckle
On your heart and start to chuckle
Well, you're gonna die of boredom, Safety Joe
Well, you're gonna die of boredom, Safety Joe
That's golden
The song Safety Joe by John Prine tells the story of a man named Joe who lives his life in an overly cautious manner. According to the lyrics, Joe never gets too lonely or sad, but he also never reaches moments of happiness. He wears a "seatbelt around his heart" and is commonly referred to as "Safety Joe". The song continues to emphasize that if Joe doesn't loosen up and start to live a little, he will ultimately "die of boredom".
The song seems to critique a way of life that is too safe and too cautious. Joe is not willing to take risks, try new things, or get out of his comfort zone. As a result, his life ends up being quite dull and uneventful. The emphasis on "loosening up the buckle on your heart and start to chuckle" is a call to action for all those living too cautiously to start living a little and enjoy life.
One interpretation of the song could be that John Prine is suggesting we should take chances in life and enjoy the ride, despite the risks that come with it. Life is short, and it's important to make the most of it.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, he never got too lonely
Joe was never too lonely in life
And he never got too sad
Joe never got too sad, never felt extremely low because of life's happenings
But he never got too happy
Joe never experienced the joyful moments of life with great intensity
And that's what's just too bad
This is sad because he never really tasted the beauty of life
He never reached much further
Joe never went out of his comfort zone to explore life beyond his usual routine
Than his lonely arms would go
Joe limited himself to what he knew and didn't seek new experiences or opportunities
He wore a seatbelt around his heart
Joe was guarded and didn't allow himself to be emotional or vulnerable
And they called him Safety Joe
People called him 'Safety Joe' as a nickname since he was always too cautious
If you don't loosen up the buckle
The buckle refers to being guarded like Joe was and the line is a reminder to let down one's guard
On your heart and start to chuckle
Be open to being happy even if it means taking risks in life
You're gonna die of boredom, Safety Joe
Being too cautious and not trying new things in life is dull and unexciting
Joe he lived in Baltimore
Joe resided in Baltimore because New York was too fast-paced for him
'Cause New York was too darn fast
New York was too hectic for his liking with too much going on
He sometimes went down to Washington
Joe would make occasional trips to Washington to appreciate American history and culture
Just to view our nation's past
The old capital city held a special significance for him and represented memories of his past
He never ate his vegetables
Joe had some peculiar eating habits and didn't like vegetables
'Cause they were just too darn chewy
He avoided them because of the texture or taste
And he never climbed much higher
Joe didn't set high goals for himself and didn't aim to achieve great things
Than the arch in old St. Louis
The Gateway Arch in St. Louis represented his highest aspiration in life
Joe gradually grew meaner
Joe became more irritable or unpleasant over time
By not changin' his demeanor
Not venturing out of his routine caused him to grow tired of life's monotony
But he never did nothin'
Joe's complacency prevented him from taking any significant action to change his situation
Too much for too long
Being stagnant impacted his well-being and quality of life over an extended period
Therefore his life never got much richer
Joe's unwillingness to pursue new experiences prevented him from experiencing personal growth and fulfillment
Than the day they took that picture
The day the photo was taken is the highest point of joy he ever experienced
In his birthday suit
He was naked in the photo when he was happiest
On the day that he was born
Being born is the only other day where he experienced extreme joy
Well, you're gonna die of boredom, Safety Joe
The song is a warning and a call to action to be open to new experiences in life and to not fear taking risks
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: John E Prine
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MinstrelOnTheRun
This was one of the first things I thought about when I heard of John Prine's passing. That half-baked mandolin solo and the laughter breakdown are so warm and always put such a smile on my face.
jim Assalone
When he did “Safety Joe” on Austin City Limits a young band member did such a great mandolin piece the crowd erupted with applause. They must have remembered “half-baked” recorded effort. John Prine got a real kick out of audience response.
MinstrelOnTheRun
@jim Assalone Haha, that's great, and thanks for sharing! I'll have to try to track down a live recording - sounds like an entirely different and wonderful listening experience.
WC Paul
Rest in peace, John. He was an American treasure.
Thomas Clark
John Prine takes country music to a whole new level. We miss you pal. ❤🏴
john blankenship
I always thought of John as a folk singer, not country. Bob Dylan did some tunes with him. But after doing a few searches, I found that he was labeled Country-Folk, so kind of a combination of the two genres. Guess the label depends on the listener.
STEPHANIE
love it
Whiteboy red
My grandfather used to sign this to me every night
David Stisher
Nice!
Maggie Ball
great little ditty