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.
They
John Prine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The more I drink, the less I feel blue
Sometimes I feel like an awful fool
Spendin' my life on an old bar stool
And yes I guess they oughta name a drink after you
[Incomprehensible]
If this date were to be our last, I'd never sit down this glass
You've left my heart a vacant lot, I'll fill it with another shot
And yes I guess they oughta name a drink after you
[Incomprehensible]
Looks like I had my fill, guess I better pay my bill
When I started out I only meant to have a few
Someone just said that you left town, I better get a double round
And yes I guess they oughta name a drink after you
Yes I guess they oughta name a drink after you
These lyrics are from John Prine's song "They", a melancholic tale of a man drowning his sorrows in alcohol due to a failed relationship. It is said to be a personal account of John Prine's failed marriage to his first wife, high school sweetheart Ann Carole. The song begins with the singer admitting to drinking heavily almost every night, and feeling like he constantly fights with his partner. The more he drinks, the less he feels sad, but he ultimately feels like a fool for wasting his life in a bar stool. The chorus suggests that the woman in question was a significant part of his drinking and he sarcastically remarks that they ought to name a drink after her.
In the second verse, the singer essentially confesses that he is not ready to let go of the relationship, and he's willing to drink all the booze in the world to forget about her but he can't. He acknowledges his broken heart but decides to fill it with another shot, essentially declaring his readiness to continue his self-destructive routine.
In the final verse, the singer decides to end his drinking, admitting that he only went to the bar for a few drinks but ended up getting drunk in hopes of forgetting his ex-partner. However, he is informed that she has left town and his only reaction is to order another round, suggesting that his dependency on alcohol is not just linked to his ex-partner, but he has a broader issue with addiction.
Ultimately, "They" is a poignant portrait of an individual clinging to the past, drowning in sadness and trauma, unable to move forward. It highlights the pitfalls of self-medication and how detrimental and fatal excessive drinking could be. The cynicism and sarcasm laced within the lyrics make the song captivating to the listener, alluding to the idea that the singer's situation may not be entirely his fault.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh I get drunk most every night, seems like all we do is fight
I frequently consume alcohol every night and it seems like my partner and I always argue
The more I drink, the less I feel blue
Drinking alcohol causes me to feel less sad
Sometimes I feel like an awful fool
Occasionally, I feel like a complete idiot
Spendin' my life on an old bar stool
I waste my life sitting on a bar stool
And yes I guess they oughta name a drink after you
You are so memorable that a drink should be named after you
[Incomprehensible]
The lyric is unclear or indecipherable
If this date were to be our last, I'd never sit down this glass
If this were our last date together, I would not finish this drink
It'd take all the booze in the world to forget you
It would require an impossibly large amount of alcohol to forget about you
You've left my heart a vacant lot, I'll fill it with another shot
You have broken my heart and I will cope with it by drinking more alcohol
Looks like I had my fill, guess I better pay my bill
I have had enough to drink and should probably settle my tab
When I started out I only meant to have a few
Initially, I only intended to consume a small amount of alcohol
Someone just said that you left town, I better get a double round
Upon hearing that you have left, I will order twice as much alcohol
Yes I guess they oughta name a drink after you
You are so unforgettable that a drink should be named in your honor
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN PRINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@samimcfee9600
I suddenly lost my partner of 34 years last last month. I'm devastated,so here I am at 4:05 am, can't sleep, and thinking of the songs we used to sing to each other. I miss her so much. We thought this song was written for us and it made us so happy.💔
@cjfengshui1
Aw😢.
@bcynsible
So sorry for your loss! 💔My husband passed away last year 3 days after or second anniversary. We considered using this as our wedding song as we exited the church but thought it might be too racey for church. We instead chose I have met my love today also by JP. Equally fitting. ❤️❤️❤️
@katsii1
I lost my spouse in May of '22. We were almost married 46 years and known each other for over 50 years. This was one of our two songs. The other was "you may be right...I may be crazy". I get teary when i hear this, but also so happy for all those years we had together.
@dwood4835
Two years ago, I dedicated this song to my Husband on our 13th Wedding Anniversary. O8/30/23 will be our 15th yr anniversary. Sadly, my husband passed away 7 months ago from COVID. I'll be posting this song on our upcoming anniversary and I KNOW my husband will be enjoying it from Heaven <3 RIP DW
@richardkelley2016
Never heard this song and I can tell you guys were meant to be if you dedicated this to your husband. Sorry for your loss. Sounds like you lived life together and happy. One day you'll be singing this again belting it at each other
@billsbackermafia4778
The airport virus killed John Prine in the 1st month of the disease
@crouch0385
just think, now he gets the free concert! <3 so sorry for your loss.
@triciatempleton3686
My husband died from Covid a couple of months before yours. We, too, shared a passion for John Prine, and for this song in particular. I hope they're both hearing John sing it now.
@garagejamswithjustin4928
im so sorry for your loss your lucky you had him some people never get to experience that