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.
Wedding Day in Funeralville
John Prine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your soup spoon's on your right
The King and Queen will alternate
With the refrigerator light
They'll be boxing on the TV show
The colored kids will sing
Hoo ray for you and midnight's oil
Felicia is my dark horse girl
I'll take her if it rains
She throws up punch upon the host
And says many stupid things
But she ain't so bad
When we're all alone she's as different as can be
She's a part a my heart, don'tcha pull us apart
She's like one of the family
Oh no, trouble in the attic
Won't somebody turn on a light?
Got so, so many troubles
Can't even tell wrong from right
I'm gonna comb my hair
Darn my socks, tip my hat and say goodnight
It's wedding day in Funeralville
What shall I wear tonight?
It's wedding day in Funeralville
What shall I wear tonight?
My car is stuck in Washington
And I cannot find out why
Come sit beside me on the swing
And watch the angels cry
It's anybody's ballgame
It's everybody's fight
And the street lamp said as he nodded his head
It's lonesome out tonight
Oh no, trouble in the attic
Won't somebody turn on a light?
Got so, so many troubles
Can't even tell wrong from right
I'm gonna comb my hair
Darn my socks, tip my hat and say goodnight
It's wedding day in Funeralville
What shall I wear tonight?
It's wedding day in Funeralville
What shall I wear tonight?
The song “Wedding Day in Funeralville” by John Prine is a piece filled with irony and contrasts. The title itself alludes to the collision of opposing events or feelings. The mood of the song is generally somber yet there are moments of humor, and the lyrics often subvert expectations.
The opening verse sets the tone for a peculiar day, a wedding day at a place called Funeralville. This clash of life and death, which is expressed indirectly, can be felt throughout the song. The second line of the song “Your soup spoon’s on your right” is an example of how Prine uses a mundane detail to create a sense of unease. It sounds like something that should be insignificant, but the fact that it's being mentioned made it appear off. The third line “The king and queen will alternate with the refrigerator light” is another example of the song’s unexpected humor. The fourth line, however, hints at something darker as it presents a contrast between the wedding and the TV show where people box each other. The fifth line “The colored kids will sing” reminds us of racial segregation of the time when the song was released which makes it one of the only direct references to the societal issues of the era.
Later in the song, Prine talks about Felicia, who is his “dark horse girl”. She is presented as someone who is reckless, and perhaps embarrassing in public. Yet in private, she is kind, and Prine sees her as “part of his heart”. The lyric is a reminder of how people can be different when in public and when in private. It's another example of the song’s general tone which is both ironic and poignant. The last verse of the song expresses a feeling of genuine loneliness where the street lamp itself appears to sympathize with the singer who is going through a rough time.
Line by Line Meaning
It's wedding day in Funeralville
The day of the wedding has come in this place called Funeralville
Your soup spoon's on your right
The proper placement for your eating utensil is to the right of your plate
The King and Queen will alternate
The royalty will take turns, one after another
With the refrigerator light
The only light that was on was coming from the fridge
They'll be boxing on the TV show
The television program will feature a boxing match
The colored kids will sing
The African-American children will lead a song
Hoo ray for you and midnight's oil
We're going to celebrate, stay up late, and party all night long
Let's burn the whole damn thing
Let's light a fire and destroy everything
Felicia is my dark horse girl
Felicia is someone that you wouldn't expect me to like
I'll take her if it rains
I'll choose her if my first option isn't available
She throws up punch upon the host
She vomits the drink she had on the host or hostess
And says many stupid things
She tends to make numerous idiotic comments
But she ain't so bad
Despite her faults, she is essentially a good person
When we're all alone she's as different as can be
Her personality changes when it's just the two of us
She's a part a my heart, don'tcha pull us apart
We have a strong connection that can't be broken
She's like one of the family
She feels like a member of the family to me
Oh no, trouble in the attic
Something bad is happening in the attic
Won't somebody turn on a light?
Can someone please illuminate the area?
Got so, so many troubles
I have an overwhelming number of problems
Can't even tell wrong from right
I can't distinguish between what's good or bad anymore
I'm gonna comb my hair
I plan on tidying up my hair
Darn my socks, tip my hat and say goodnight
I'll fix my socks, salute you, and wish you goodnight
What shall I wear tonight?
I'm not sure what clothes to put on for the event
My car is stuck in Washington
My vehicle is trapped in Washington state
And I cannot find out why
I'm unable to determine the reason for the problem
Come sit beside me on the swing
Come over here and join me on the porch swing
And watch the angels cry
We will observe divine beings shedding tears
It's anybody's ballgame
The outcome of the situation could go either way
It's everybody's fight
We are all involved in this struggle together
And the street lamp said as he nodded his head
Even the street lamp was giving his input on the matter
It's lonesome out tonight
It's a lonely night, with no one around to share it with
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind