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.
The Frying Pan
John Prine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There was a note in the frying pan
It said fix your own supper babe
I run off with the Fuller brush man
Chorus:
And I miss the way she used to yell at me
The way she used to cuss and moan
And if I ever go out and get married again
Sat down at the table
Screamed, and I hollered and cried
And I commenced a carryin' on
Till I almost lost my mind
Repeat Chorus
If I ever see another salesman
Come a knockin' at my door
I'm gonna pick up a rock and hit him on the head
And knock him down on the floor
Repeat Chorus
The lyrics of John Prine's song The Frying Pan tell the story of a man who comes home from work to find a note in the frying pan from his wife, telling him that she has run off with the Fuller brush man and that he should fix his own supper. The man then sits down at the table, screams, hollers, and cries, lamenting the loss of his wife and the way she used to yell at him and cuss and moan. He then repeats the chorus of the song, expressing how much he misses his wife and admonishing himself for leaving her at home.
The song is a bittersweet reflection on the importance of appreciating one's significant other and the value of the small things in a relationship. The man deeply regrets taking his wife for granted and is devastated by her departure. He longs for the way she used to treat him, realizing too late that her expressions of anger and frustration were signs of her love and commitment. The last lines of the song reveal a newfound determination on the part of the singer to never leave his wife at home again.
Overall, The Frying Pan is a powerful illustration of the fragility of relationships and the importance of cherishing the people we love. It reminds us that even the most mundane aspects of daily life can hold great significance and that it is never too late to appreciate the blessings in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I come home from work this evening
After a hard day's work, I returned home in the evening.
There was a note in the frying pan
I found a note left in the frying pan.
It said fix your own supper babe
The note informed me that I need to cook my own dinner tonight.
I run off with the Fuller brush man
My partner left me and ran away with the salesman from Fuller brush.
And I miss the way she used to yell at me
I miss the way my partner used to shout at me.
The way she used to cuss and moan
I miss the way my partner used to curse and complain.
And if I ever go out and get married again
If I ever get married again in the future.
I'll never leave my wife at home
I will not make the mistake of leaving my partner at home.
Sat down at the table
I sat down at the table.
Screamed, and I hollered and cried
I screamed, yelled, and cried due to my overwhelming emotions.
And I commenced a carryin' on
I started making a fuss.
Till I almost lost my mind
I came close to losing my mental stability due to the stress and emotional turmoil I was experiencing.
If I ever see another salesman
If I encounter another salesman.
Come a knockin' at my door
If they knock on my door.
I'm gonna pick up a rock and hit him on the head
I will use violence and throw a rock to hit them on the head.
And knock him down on the floor
I will knock them down on the floor.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN PRINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind