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.
Take The Star Out Of The Window
John Prine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
For the best years of his life
His captain was his mother
And the ocean was his wife
Only fresh out of the cradle
Life's one and only spring
He was sworn to do his duty
And got blood on his high school ring
And it's hello California
Hello Dad and Mom
Ship ahoy
Your baby boy
Is home from Vietnam
Don't you ask me any questions
'Bout the medals on my chest
Take the star out of the window
And let my conscience take a rest
Now he sailed across the ocean
To the old far eastern war
And it was foreign to his body
It was foreign to his shore
So he traded in the present
For the better times he'd seen
And made an oriental waitress
His own home comin' queen
[Chorus]
The song Take The Star Out Of The Window by John Prine is a poignant ballad that is imbued with themes of war, guilt, and coming home. The song is written from the perspective of a young sailor named Robert, who is returning home to California after serving in the Vietnam War. Through the lyrics, we learn about Robert's experiences as a soldier, his sense of duty, and the toll that the war has taken on him.
The opening verse of the song sets the stage by describing Robert's life as a sailor. It's clear that he has spent a significant portion of his life at sea, and that his captain was his mother. This creates an interesting dynamic, as it suggests that Robert's life was shaped by the expectations of his family, rather than his own desires. The ocean, which is described as his wife, is also portrayed as a force that dominates his life. The lyric "Only fresh out of the cradle/Life's one and only spring" suggests that Robert was young and inexperienced when he joined the Navy, and that his time at war has forced him to grow up quickly.
The chorus of the song is the most memorable part, as it is both catchy and poignant. Robert tells his parents to "Take the star out of the window/And let my conscience take a rest". The star is a reference to the blue star service banner, which was commonly displayed in windows during World War II to indicate that a family member was serving in the military. The blue star was replaced by a gold star if the service member was killed in action. By telling his parents to take the star out of the window, Robert is asking them not to celebrate his service. He doesn't want to be seen as a hero, and he doesn't want his parents to ask him about the medals he earned. Instead, he just wants to come home and try to put the war behind him.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN PRINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jimbotutu9379
Robert was a sailor
For the best years of his life
His captain was his mother
And the ocean was his wife
Only fresh out of the cradle
Life's one and only spring
He was sworn to do his duty
And got blood on his high school ring
Chorus:
And it's hello California
Hello Dad and Mom
Ship ahoy
Your baby boy
Is home from Vietnam
Don't you ask me any questions
'Bout the medals on my chest
Take the star out of the window
And let my conscience take a rest
Now he sailed across the ocean
To the old far eastern war
And it was foreign to his body
It was foreign to his shore
So he traded in the present
For the better times he'd seen
And made an oriental waitress
His own home comin' queen
(Repeat chorus)
@kamoke1
Robert was a sailor
For the best years of his life
His captain was his mother
And the ocean was his wife
Only fresh out of the cradle
Life's one and only spring
He was sworn to do his duty
And got blood on his high school ring
[Chorus:]
And it's hello California
Hello Dad and Mom
Ship ahoy
Your baby boy
Is home from Vietnam
Don't you ask me any questions
'Bout the medals on my chest
Take the star out of the window
And let my conscience take a rest
Now he sailed across the ocean
To the old far eastern war
And it was foreign to his body
It was foreign to his shore
So he traded in the present
For the better times he'd seen
And made an oriental waitress
His own home comin' queen
[Chorus]
@dmlong56
I cry every time I hear this. I can only imagine how the horror of war changes a person. How they try to make some kind of peace with their conscience. Kids killing kids. It’s so senseless. Then the treatment of those who fought in Vietnam. Tragic all of it. They were all heroes and some didn’t make it home. Thanks John for your socially conscious, anti war lyrics and music. Also for the ones that make us laugh and dance and everything in between. You were such a precious gift. I miss you. I thank you!
@dougal9439
How did I forget this song? "Don't you ask me any questions about the medals on my chest, take the star out of the window and let my conscience do the rest". So right on, Rest In Peace John Prine, and thank you for almost 5 decades of joy. you gave me.
I first 'met you' with your joyous "Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven" just before I went over to that Dirty Little War..
Peace
@Jamesjoiner1919
You're so right
@Jamesjoiner1919
Gorgeous
@theorangepekoeteabagband4330
Diamonds In The Rough was my introduction to John Prine. I know the words to every song on this album and have performed them many times over. Like so many others, John Prine was a big part of the soundtrack to my life. He had a long struggle with health but he shrugged it off so he could continue to share his words and spirit and soul with us all. I miss him.
@LOVEHAS1JOYRAINS2
😊mother father of all creation is here in the physical ❤🎉 and using social media to reach out to u. please phone home in these urgent moments ❤️ god is here to meet us its real😊 Luna
@Jamesjoiner1919
Gorgeous JP
@John-dw6ru
To all Viet Nam war veterans, thank you. You were put in an impossible position, and for those of you who made it through, you were villainized when you returned home. But you maintained your strength and your courage. There is honor in that. Thank you.
@donborden4188
My heart still weeps.
@Juliamiller56
John Prine is my favorite songwriting man. Joni Mitchell is my favorite woman song writer