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.
That Close to You
John Prine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a cloudy day, down at the zoo
Like a drowning man that will never go under
That close to you, yeah, that close to you
In the middle of the night
You'd ask me to make you smile
You'd come on like a one armed child
Everybody oughtta know
It only hurts you for a little while
So stop putting yourself on trial
For something you didn't do
Not you, to me, can't we be just like
Lovers and mothers and brothers and sorrow
Can I find a little something with a nicer view
I'm hating to plead but I'm begging to borrow
Just to be close to you, yeah, that close to you
In the middle of the night
You'd ask me to make you smile
You'd come on like a one armed child
With a hole in its shoe, poor you
Everybody oughtta know
It only hurts you for a little while
So stop putting yourself on trial
For something you didn't do
Not you, to me, can't we be just like
Lovers and mothers and brothers and sorrow
Can I find a little something with a nicer view
I'm hating to plead but I'm begging to borrow
Just to be that close to you, yeah, that close to you
Ooh, that close to you, yeah, that close to you
The song "That Close to You" by John Prine describes the intense longing and desire for closeness to someone who is just out of reach. Prine uses metaphors to describe the intensity of his desire, comparing it to a bolt of lightning, thunder, a cloudy day, and a drowning man. These comparisons evoke strong emotions and create a sense of urgency and desperation.
Prine also acknowledges the difficulties in the relationship, with references to a "hole in its shoe" and the need to "plead and borrow" just to be close to the person. The repetition of the line "that close to you" emphasizes the distance between them, and the longing to bridge that distance.
The lyrics also touch on themes of self-doubt and the need for acceptance, with the line "stop putting yourself on trial for something you didn't do." This line can be interpreted as both the singer's plea to the other person, as well as a reminder to himself to let go of past mistakes and move forward in the relationship.
Overall, "That Close to You" is a emotionally-charged song about the intense and often complicated nature of desire and longing in relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Like a bolt of lightning, like a bolt of thunder
I feel a sudden shock and excitement, just like when lightning strikes or thunder roars
Like a cloudy day, down at the zoo
I feel a little sad and lost, just like on a day with overcast skies at the zoo
Like a drowning man that will never go under
I feel helpless and trapped, just like someone struggling to stay afloat in water
That close to you, yeah, that close to you
I feel both overwhelmed and grateful to be near you
In the middle of the night
It's late and dark, when everything is quiet and peaceful
You'd ask me to make you smile
You turn to me for comfort and happiness
You'd come on like a one armed child
You are vulnerable and fragile, like a child with physical limitations
With a hole in its shoe, poor you
You are struggling, and I sympathize with your hardships
Everybody oughtta know
I want to share some wisdom with you and everyone else
It only hurts you for a little while
Your pain is temporary and will fade over time
So stop putting yourself on trial
You are being too hard on yourself, and need to be kinder
For something you didn't do
You are blaming yourself for things that are out of your control
Not you, to me, can't we be just like
I see you differently, and value you just the way you are
Lovers and mothers and brothers and sorrow
These are all part of the human experience, and connect us in deep ways
Can I find a little something with a nicer view
I am looking for some hope and positivity, to counteract the negative things around us
I'm hating to plead but I'm begging to borrow
I am reluctant to ask, but I really need your help right now
Just to be that close to you, yeah, that close to you
It means so much to me to be near you, and feel your warmth and comfort
Ooh, that close to you, yeah, that close to you
It's a feeling of closeness and intimacy that's hard to put into words
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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