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.
Sailin
John Prine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been out sailin' around again
I've been sailin' around
But I can't get back to you.
Hangin' around, hangin' around, hangin' around
I've been out hangin' around again
I've been hangin' around
But I can't get back to you.
[Chorus]
So tell where you been so long (sailin' around)
What have I done so wrong? (sailin' around)
Well, I'm so glad I finally found you
I can't wait to put my arms around you
Sailin' around, but I can't get back to you
Shoppin' around, shoppin' around, shoppin' around,
I've been shoppin' around again
I've been shoppin' around
But I can't get back to you.
[Chorus]
Sailin' around, sailin' around, sailin' around,
I've been sailin' around again
I've been sailin' around but I can't get back to you.
I've been sailin' around but I can't get back to you.
I've been sailin' around but I can't get back to you.
The lyrics of "Sailin'" by John Prine convey a sense of aimlessness and longing for connection as the singer sails, hangs around, and shops around without any clear purpose or direction. He feels unable to return to someone special in his life, and he asks for an explanation for their prolonged separation. The repetition of the various activities highlights the cyclical nature of the singer's state of mind and underscores his inability to break free from it.
At the same time, the choice of these activities suggests a certain restlessness and desire for novelty, as well as perhaps a lack of commitment and responsibility. The imagery of sailing and shopping hints at a certain leisurely lifestyle and materialistic attitude, which may not be conducive to lasting relationships. The fact that the singer cannot get back to the person they long for implies that they are perhaps not ready to change their ways and make the necessary effort to bridge the gap between them and their loved one.
Overall, "Sailin'" is a poignant reflection on the human tendency to get lost in transient pleasures and distractions, while yearning for deeper connections and meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
Sailin' around, sailin' around, sailin' around,
I'm aimlessly floating through life without a specific destination or purpose.
I've been out sailin' around again
This is not the first time I have found myself lost and directionless.
I've been sailin' around
I have been spending my time in a way that does not offer fulfillment or bring me closer to my goals.
But I can't get back to you.
My wandering has caused me to become disconnected from the important people in my life.
Hangin' around, hangin' around, hangin' around
I am stationary and going nowhere, killing time with no purpose.
I've been out hangin' around again
Like my sailing, my unproductive behavior is becoming a pattern in my life.
I've been hangin' around
I am wasting precious time instead of using it to improve my situation.
Shoppin' around, shoppin' around, shoppin' around,
I am trying to distract myself by engaging in frivolous or materialistic activities.
I've been shoppin' around again
I am repeating my attempts to fill a void with temporary pleasures.
[Chorus] So tell where you been so long (sailin' around) What have I done so wrong? (sailin' around) Well, I'm so glad I finally found you I can't wait to put my arms around you Sailin' around but I can't get back to you
The chorus implies that the artist's drifting has caused a rift in his relationship and that he is expressing regret and longing to be reunited with his loved one.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: JOHN E. PRINE, JOHN ROBERT BURNS, JOHN E PRINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AndrewPhotoKing
I love so many of John Prine’s songs. Many are deep and meaningful, some are fun and hilarious. But am currently stuck with this one. Simple and beautiful. His voice, the harmony, and that little repeated downward pattern in the guitar - just stuck in my head.
@manofculture6944
My favourite track from this album. Rest easy John.
@mr.potter9426
Thank you John Prine for the music,we owe you...big time!
@peterkraft8999
Wow , so beautifull! makes me feel a bit sad and happy at the same time...
@rogerbacorn2848
3 chords and the truth.
@desmondfox3499
God please keep your angels busy and away from John in this dark days of the falling god bless you and we are praying for you come out of this John with a smile
@lcolletti9901
my favorite
@valeriezoski9083
Thank you. Osu!! Kiss's
@michaelwinters4063
Go ahead.try and find better
@marvf78
I am 67 years of age and I have never been moved by a Singer songwriter like the way John Prine touches my heart.