My Top Ten John Prine Songs

Yeah, it's been a pretty bad fortnight for music industry deaths - as CC commented earlier in the week, it's starting to look like 2016 all over again. First Kenny Rogers, then Bill Withers... and I hadn't even finished my Adam Schlesinger obit when I heard the news about John Prine.

I've only really got into John Prine in a big way in the last couple of years. I was a fan of In Spite Of Ourselves and the duets album it came from, and I had a pretty cheap compilation of some of his biggest hits, from which Christmas In Prison became a festive favourite, but it's only recently that I began digging deeper into his back catalogue. His recent "comeback" album, The Tree Of Forgiveness, was my favourite record of 2018, and I was hoping we might hear more like that in the future. I guess we'll have to wait and see if there are any posthumous gems still to be released, but in the meantime the track below tells us not to be too sad at John's passing... I'm sure he'll be having a hell of a time in the afterlife.



Here's Bill Murray on how John Prine helped him beat his depression.

And here's ten of my favourite John Prine tracks. I don't claim to have heard them all. I'm still working my way through his back catalogue, but already there were plenty I had to leave out to get this list down to ten.

Why do I like John Prine so much? I guess it's his wit, and his wisdom. With that in mind, I'll pretty much let his words do the talking on this tribute...


10. Some Humans Ain't Human

Have you ever noticed

When you're feeling really good

There's always a pigeon

That'll come shit on your hood

Or you're feeling your freedom

And the world's off your back

Some cowboy from Texas

Starts his own war in Iraq

Some humans ain't human

Some people ain't kind

They lie through their teeth

With their head up their behind

You open up their hearts

And here's what you'll find...

Some humans ain't human

Some people ain't kind

9. Jesus, The Missing Years

He went to France. He went to Spain

He found love. He found pain.

He found stores so he started to shop

But he had no money so he got in trouble with a cop

Kids in trouble with the cops

From Israel didn't have no home

So he cut his hair and moved to Rome

8. Spanish Pipedream

Blow up your TV, throw away your paper

Go to the country, build you a home

Plant a little garden, eat a lot of peaches

Try an' find Jesus on your own

7. Pretty Good

Pretty good, not bad, I can't complain

Cause actually everything is just about the same

6. We Are The Lonely

I was saving this one for my Top Ten Lonely Hearts Column songs...

SWF with a PhD

Seeks TLC at the AT&T

GWM, nice and trim

Seeks S E X at the G Y M

Ugly man treats girls like dirt

Wants buttons sewn upon his shirt

DUI at the B A R

Seeks M A N with C A R

5. Egg & Daughter Nite, Lincoln Nebraska, 1967 (Crazy Bone)

Don't be stuck up in Alaska

When you should be in Nebraska

On a Thursday when it's Egg & Daughter Nite

When the farmers come to town

And they spread them eggs around

And they drop their daughters down at the roller rink

Well you're prob'ly standin' there

With your slicked-back, Brylcreem hair

Your Lucky's and your daddy's fine-tooth comb

If they knew what you were thinkin'

They'd run you out of Lincoln

Just blame it on that ole' crazy bone

4. Hello In There

More appropriate than ever given the current climate...

Ya' know that old trees just grow stronger

And old rivers grow wilder ev'ry day

Old people just grow lonesome

Waiting for someone to say, "Hello in there, hello"

3. Speed of the Sound of Loneliness

Probably the first John Prine song I ever loved, thanks to the 90s cover by Alabama 3. The original is not as funky, but it is sweeter in its own way.

So what in the world's come over you

And what in heaven's name have you done

You've broken the speed of the sound of loneliness

You're out there running just to be on the run

2. In Spite Of Ourselves (with Iris DeMent)

She don't like her eggs all runny

She thinks crossin' her legs is funny

She looks down her nose at money

She gets it on like the Easter Bunny

She's my baby, I'm her honey

I'm never gonna let her go

He ain't got laid in a month of Sundays

Caught him once and he was sniffin' my undies

He ain't too sharp but he gets things done

Drinks his beer like it's oxygen

He's my baby, I'm his honey

I'm never gonna let him go

1. Lake Marie

I don't know why Lake Marie is my favourite. It's not one of the obvious ones, but it was the first track I thought of when I heard of John's passing. It's funny, but also dark and sad... and it just goes off in weird directions as the story unwinds, and it feels very real because of it.

It also reminds me of my favourite poem, The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry. There's a lot to love in this song...

Many years later we found ourselves in Canada

Trying to save our marriage and perhaps catch a few fish

Whatever seemed easier, that night she fell asleep in my arms

Humming the tune to, "Louie Louie"

Aah baby, we gotta go now

Rest in peace, John. Enjoy that vodka and ginger ale...

Mid-Life Crisis Songs #45: Anniversary

It was our anniversary on Tuesday. As we're not married, it was the 15th anniversary of our first date, on which Louise fell up the steps to the cinema, revealed that she doesn't like coffee (my staple diet) and cut the evening short because she was "tired, hungry and stressed". I didn't expect a second date.

Anyway, it was our anniversary, and though we'd both bought each other a card and (small) present, we forgot all about it on the day itself and so we didn't exchange them until the following morning.

When we finally opened the cards, although they were different , they had an identical message on the front.

Who says romance is dead?

Here's two old favourites that seem appropriate... though neither of them really capture anything about our relationship. That song has yet to be written...

November #9 - John Prine Takes The Garbage Out

9. John Prine & Iris DeMent - Who's Gonna Take Your Garbage Out?

Back when I did My Top Ten Bickering Couple Songs, John Prine & Iris DeMent featured high up with their excellent duet In Spite Of Ourselves, from the 1999 duets album of the same. 17 years later, Prine has released another album of duets, For Better, Or Worse, featuring big names from the country world such as Miranda Lambert, Alison Krauss and Kacey Musgraves. There are some fine (and funny) tunes among this bunch, but I was immediately drawn to his latest collaboration with Iris DeMent since they've always complemented each other so well in the past.

I wasn't familiar with the original version of this song by Loretta Lynn and Ernest Tubbs, but I think John and Iris more than do it justice...

John: I take too much abuse to me that's all I ever get

Iris: Yeah callin' a man like you a husband is just like callin' old wild cat a pet
You'd better stop your runnin' around, say nothin', stop movin' on

John: But who's gonna take your garbage out when I've packed my bags and gone?

Prine recently fought a second bout with cancer. After having part of his neck removed in the late 90s, he not long ago had surgery to tackle a new growth on his lung. Soon after, he was back out on the road, and recording this new record. Let's hope he's got many more to come...

My Top Ten Bickering Couple Songs (Volume 1)

Let's celebrate the bank holiday weekend with a good argument, as so many couples do.

Here are ten of the best arguing couples on record... although I had plenty more to choose from, so don't be surprised to hear a Volume 2 one day soon...


10. Ute Lemper & Neil Hannon - Split

Way, way back in the year 2000... before many of today's 16 year olds were even born... German musical actress Ute Lemper teamed up with the likes of Scott Walker, Nick Cave, Elvis Costello and the Divine Mr. Hannon for a "pop" album. This was one of the acrimonious highlights...

Neil:

I was there for you.
You were there for me...
And him,
And half of the western world it seems...

Ute: 

No, baby, that's not fair,
There were two or three...
Okay.
...At most
But I don't like to boast.

Neil:

Oh you make me sick.

9. Loretta Lynn & Conway Twitty - You're The Reason Our Kids Are Ugly

I first heard this duet as recorded by one of my favourite bands of the noughties: The Indelicates. In fact, I'd be featuring their version here if it was on youtube: they really do make it their own. Hunt it down if you can.

In its youtube absence though, the original recording by Loretta and Conway is pretty damned cool too. Because looks ain't everything and money ain't everything...

8. Dexys - I'm Always Going To Love You / Incapable Of Love

Dexys' (minus the Midnight Runners of their youth) 2012 album One Day I'm Going To Soar is one of the greatest comeback records in the history of pop... and these two songs are undoubtedly the highlight. It all begins with a passionate fling between Kevin Rowland and new recruit Madeleine Hyland which goes awry when Kev admits he doesn't know how to love her. (Men!) After a bitter row, she chucks him out... which leads directly into the explanations and recriminations of the following track. Too-ray-aye this ain't...

7.John Prine and Iris DeMent - In Spite of Ourselves

John and Iris take turns listing their faults... but in spite of all that, they're still very much in love. Which is always nice to hear.

John: 

She don't like her eggs all runny
She thinks crossin' her legs is funny
She looks down her nose at money
She gets it on like the Easter Bunny
She's my baby, I'm her honey
I'm never gonna let her go

Iris:

He ain't got laid in a month of Sundays
I caught him once and he was sniffin' my undies
He ain't too sharp but he gets things done
Drinks his beer like it's oxygen
He's my baby
And I'm his honey
Never gonna let him go

6. Space & Cerys Matthews - The Ballad of Tom Jones

Space are unfairly remembered as another bunch of Britpop also-rans, but listen to this again and it's a thing of unique beauty that sets them on an entirely different platform from the likes of Cast, Menswear and those two idiot brothers. It's weird, yes, but never too self-consciously quirky. The lyrical detail saves it, along with the genius move of employing Cerys for guest vocals: who else could have sung, "I have never thrown my knickers at you!" with such conviction (not to mention perfectly setting up Tommy Scott's comeback, "And I don't come from Wales")?

Best thing about it? This was actually their biggest chart hit... although we probably remember them more for Me & You Vs. The World or Female of the Species. Seriously, give this one another listen and remember: this song was on radio station A-lists all across the country. That's something which would never happen today...

5. The Beautiful South - A Little Time

Paul Heaton has probably written more bickering couple songs than anyone else I can think of (see also You Keep It All In, Your Father & I, Even A Palm Tree, etc. etc.).

The beauty of A Little Time though is that on first hearing it sounds more like a traditional love duet. Heaton wisely chose not to sing this one himself, instead giving the male part to the much less sarky-sounding Dave Hemingway, while original Beautiful South femme fatale Brianna Corrigan could well be singing the Diana Ross part of Endless Love. Until you listen to the lyrics. Or watch the video...

The bitch! She killed his teddy!

4. Tom Waits & Crystal Gayle - Picking Up After You

Tom and Crystal love to have a good whinge about the state the other one leaves the house in... makes you think they deserve each other. Things do get a little personal at times though. Highlight for me is when Tom asks Crystal...

Tell me - how long have you been combing your hair with a wrench?

3. Lush & Jarvis Cocker - Ciao!

Another forgotten classic from the Britpop era in which Lush's Miki Berenyi trades barbs with Jarvis, celebrating the demise of their "relationship". Methinks they doth protest too much...

Jarvis:

'Cause I've met this girl and she's so good to me
She's really beautiful, fantastic company
 Oh, when I'm with her I realise what love can be
'Cause she's fifty times the person you will ever be  

Miki:

Good luck, mister, do you think I care?
Since you've been gone the offers have been everywhere
 I've got a million guys just lining up for me
I've turned a corner, boy, my life is ecstasy...

2. Dean Friedman & Denise Marsa - Lucky Stars

Marsa was uncredited on Friedman's biggest hit, yet she plays an essential part. It's Dean's lyrics that make this most like a real couple's argument though. The song's filled with non-sequiturs, rhetorical questions, clumsy inference, misunderstanding, sarcasm and the two of them finishing each other's sentences. You may consider it cheesy 70s MOR (sax break and all), but it's much deeper and smarter than that.

Plus, unlike a lot of the arguments on this list, this one has a happy ending...

1. Otis Redding & Carla Thomas - Tramp

Nobody bickers like Otis & Carla... there's not a wasted line in this classic. Best bicker? Without question...

Carla: Look here. You ain't got no money.

Otis: I got everything.
 
Carla: You can't buy me all those minks and sables and all that stuff I want.
 
Otis: I can buy you minks, rats, frogs, squirrels, rabbits, ...anything you want, Woman.

Tramp wasn't written as a duet. The original version by Lowell Fulsom is just one guy bragging about what a lover-lover man he is. The beat's been sampled by everybody from Joe Tex to Ice Cube to Prince (on 7). The song's been covered by everyone from Salt 'n' Pepa to ZZ Top to the Steve Miller Band. But no other version comes close to Carla and Otis...





What are the chances of you agreeing with any of those? Bloody zero! You'll just disagree to be awkward. I know you.

Next week: Divorce Songs.

You asked for it!