John Prine

I have been fortunate over the years to have the opportunity to see performances by individuals or groups that I follow. George Carlin, Z Z Top, Aerosmith, Lewis Black, to name some of them. Friday night was a chance to add another classic performer to my list.

I have been a fan of John Prine for a long time. Probably in the neighborhood of 40 years. John is a native of Illinois born in Maywood on October 10, 1946. He served in the United States armed forces and following that he worked as a mailman in Chicago. He was initially a spectator at open mic night at the Fifth Peg in Chicago until another performer challenged him with "So you think you can do better?" Chicago Sun Times movie critic Roger Ebert heard him there and gave him his first review. Ebert called him a great songwriter.

Maybe the reason I have always liked John is because his songs have a dark side. He once said, "I've always thought that things can only get so dark, before they get funny.... There's humor in everything for me." His song "That's the Way the World Goes 'Round" contains lyrics like these.

     Beats his old lady with a rubber hose,
     Then he takes her out to dinner,
     Buys her new clothes,
     That's the way that the world goes 'round

The chorus is this.

     That's the way that the world goes 'round
     You're up one day, the next you're down
     It's a half an inch of water and you think you're going to drown,
     That's the way that the world goes 'round.

We all have ups and downs in life but all too often the highs don't make up for the lows. Buying presents for someone does not make up for abusing them. Sometimes things turn out alright but Prine is reminding us that sometimes they don't. Even when they do the redemption doesn't make up for the pain. We shouldn't pretend that it does.

John performed with a band on Friday night for part of the show. The part of the show that was special to me was when he performed acoustically by himself. Just a man on the stage singing the songs he wrote and telling you the stories about where they originated.

Please go to youtube and watch the video of That's the Way That the World Goes 'Round posted by yukonactor. It runs 7:41 and will be worth the whole time. The other song I would like you to listen to or watch on youtube is Grandpa Was a Carpenter. It is John's tribute to his grandfather and reminds me of my grandfather. He was a farmer but when I watched him work as a boy I thought he could build anything. When I got older I realized he could.

If you get the chance go see John. Go see any performer you enjoy. The live shows are so much better and it will be a memory you will carry the rest of your life.