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.
Where The Blue Of The Night
John Prine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of the days I used to know?
Why can't I find real piece of mind
And go back to the long ago?
Where the blue of the night
Meets the gold of the day
Someone waits for me
And the gold of her hair
Crowns the blue of her eyes
Like a halo tenderly
If only I could see her
Oh, how happy I would be
Where the blue of the night
Meets the gold of the day
Someone waits for me
If only I could see her
Oh, how happy I would be
Where the blue of the night
Meets the gold of the day
Someone waits for me
The lyrics of John Prine and Mac Wiseman's song "Where The Blue Of The Night" speak of nostalgia and longing for a past love. The singer is questioning why they are living in memories of the past instead of finding peace in the present. They express a desire to go back to a time when they were happy and content, when someone they loved was waiting for them.
The chorus of the song describes this idyllic place where the "blue of the night meets the gold of the day." In this place, the singer's love interest waits for them. The gold of her hair and the blue of her eyes are described as a tender halo, emphasizing her angelic nature. The singer longs to see her, knowing that it would bring them immense happiness.
Overall, the lyrics of this song are wistful and romantic, evoking a sense of longing and a desire to return to a simpler time. The combination of Prine's and Wiseman's voices only adds to the emotional depth of the song, making it a classic in the country/folk genre.
Line by Line Meaning
Why must I live in dreams
Why do I have to keep reminiscing about the past within a fantasy?
Of the days I used to know?
Why can't I let go of the past and move forward?
Why can't I find real piece of mind
Why can't I find true contentment within myself?
And go back to the long ago?
And travel back to the days gone by?
Where the blue of the night
In a magical place where the darkness meets the light
Meets the gold of the day
The junction of nighttime and daybreak creates a golden radiance
Someone waits for me
I feel that there's someone waiting for me at that mystical place
And the gold of her hair
Her hair is bright as gold
Crowns the blue of her eyes
Framing her blue eyes like a majestic crown
Like a halo tenderly
Her hair looks like a gentle halo surrounding her
If only I could see her
If only I could gaze upon her presence
Oh, how happy I would be
It would make me incredibly happy
Where the blue of the night
At that magical place where night meets day
Meets the gold of the day
The golden light of day gently blends with the blue of the nightly sky
Someone waits for me
I strongly believe that a special person is waiting for me over there
If only I could see her
If only I could set my eyes upon her
Oh, how happy I would be
I would have an extraordinary joy within my heart
Where the blue of the night
In that mesmerizing moment where the dark and light tint intertwine
Meets the gold of the day
The sunrise light casts a magical spell on the blue-colored sky
Someone waits for me
My soulmate is eagerly waiting for me at that enchanted spot
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Bing Crosby, Fred E. Ahlert, Roy Turk
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind