John Prine Article

Festivus Miracle

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Mar 12, 2014
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Great article. Thanks for posting. I love John Prine and saw him more than a few times in the 70's and 80's.

Grandpa was a carpenter; he built houses stores and banks.
Chained smoked Camel cigarettes; hammered nails in planks.
He was level on the level; shaped even every door.
Voted for Eisenhower cause Lincoln won the war.
 

FtWorthCat

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Aug 21, 2001
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I feel like he practically helped raise me. One of my favorite memories from childhood is riding around with my Grandmother and hearing "Paradise" playing on the radio. I'm not sure why that particular moment in time stuck with me, but it did. Years later, while I was at UK, I became almost obsessed with his music. I played his records over and over for years. I first saw him at Breeding's while at UK. There is just so much wisdom in his songs.

You can gaze out the window
Get mad and get madder
Throw your hands in the air
Say, "What does it matter?"
But it don't do no good
To get angry
So help me, I know

For a heart stained in anger
Grows weak and grows bitter
You'll become your own prisoner
As you watch yourself sit there
Wrapped up in a trap
Of your very own
Chain of Sorrow
 
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wildcatadam6

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Mar 28, 2005
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Seeing him for 7th time this month in Knoxville. Then again in Louisville in November.

Ryman - 3x
Singletary
Taft
Red Rocks

Hands down, my favorite artist and the best songwriter of all time. Great examiner of the human condition.

An absolute treasure.
 
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wildcatadam6

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There are a couple names in your list that belong in the conversation...but, i still maintain he's the best.

Bruce. :joy:
 
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wildcatadam6

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"I knew a girl who was almost a lady
She had a way with all the men in her life
Every inch of her blossomed in beauty
She was born on the Fourth of July"

"Midnight fell on Franklin street, and the lamppost bulbs were broke,
For the life of me, I could not see, but I heard a brand new joke,
Two men were standing upon a bridge, one jumped and screamed 'you lose',
Just left the odd man holding those late John Garfield Blues"

"Well, I started the engine
And I gave it some gas
And Cathy was closing her purse
Well, we hadn't gone far in my beat old car
And I was prepared for the worst.
"Will you still see me tomorrow?"
"No, I got too much to do."
Well, a question ain't really a question
If you know the answer too."

Sam Stone -- the entire song
 
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Pygmy Sasquatch

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Mar 27, 2009
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I will be there in Knoxville too, at the Tennesse theater which is a beautiful place by the way. Will be my third time seeing him. Absolutely love him.
Great place for a show. Was last there when it reopened ca. 2004 or 05; saw Steve Earle there. Would love to see Prine there too.
 

Levibooty

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Jun 29, 2005
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One of the great song writers to be sure. I do think that Dylan would have to placed above him for the broader scope of his offerings.

I mean come on:

"It's a hard rain gonna fall."

or

"There must be some way out of here" said the joker to the thief
"There's too much confusion", I can't get no relief
Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth
None of them along the line know what any of it is worth.

"No reason to get excited", the thief he kindly spoke
"There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke
But you and I, we've been through that, and this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late".

All along the watchtower, princes kept the view
While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too.

Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl.


I listened to both a great deal. For me Prine was more about introspection, Dylan more about the human condition.
 
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Crushgroove

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My old man was a Prine fan. Great song writer, great folk artist. However, I remember choosing to ride in the truck bed as a kid as opposed to riding in the cab with Pops just so I didn't have to hear that fawker trying to sing. My mental depiction of Hell has always been a combination of Dante's Inferno played out to the overhead soundtrack of John Prine.
 
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etowncatfan

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Jan 3, 2003
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I feel like he practically helped raise me. One of my favorite memories from childhood is riding around with my Grandmother and hearing "Paradise" playing on the radio. I'm not sure why that particular moment in time stuck with me, but it did. Years later, while I was at UK, I became almost obsessed with his music. I played his records over and over for years. I first saw him at Breeding's while at UK. There is just so much wisdom in his songs.

You can gaze out the window
Get mad and get madder
Throw your hands in the air
Say, "What does it matter?"
But it don't do no good
To get angry
So help me, I know

For a heart stained in anger
Grows weak and grows bitter
You'll become your own prisoner
As you watch yourself sit there
Wrapped up in a trap
Of your very own
Chain of Sorrow



I saw him at Breedings as well!!
 

treyforuk

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May 21, 2002
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One of the great song writers to be sure. I do think that Dylan would have to placed above him for the broader scope of his offerings.

I mean come on:

"It's a hard rain gonna fall."

or

"There must be some way out of here" said the joker to the thief
"There's too much confusion", I can't get no relief
Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth
None of them along the line know what any of it is worth.

"No reason to get excited", the thief he kindly spoke
"There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke
But you and I, we've been through that, and this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late".

All along the watchtower, princes kept the view
While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too.

Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl.


I listened to both a great deal. For me Prine was more about introspection, Dylan more about the human condition.
Yes, but once Dylan wrote, he next had to sing it... hard to hear. And I grew up in that time.