#102 – WHEN I GET TO HEAVEN – John Prine - 4/3/2020

If you’re lookin’ for me I’ll be out back with John Prine smokin’ a cigarette that’s 9 miles long (Marlboro Light, of course). Given John’s situation I almost didn’t post this one, but it does happen to be my favorite Prine tune. It is a perfect example of John Prine at his best.

This week in my attempt to send out good thoughts to John & his family, I am going to post some of my favorite of Prine’s songs. Some improved news on John’s condition: as of Tuesday afternoon, John has been elevated to stable condition and is on a ventilator. He is not out of the woods yet. Stay strong, John. This world is a far more interesting and positive place with you in it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0EiV423j0M

2018

#1205 – PARADISE – John Prine - 4/2/2020

John Prine’s more serious (and yet sentimental) side comes out in this song bemoaning the abuse of the land of his childhood by corporate coal.

This week in my attempt to send out good thoughts to John & his family, I am going to post some of my favorite of Prine’s songs. Stay strong, John. This world is a far more interesting and positive place with you in it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-SKCWXoryU

1971

#696 – LET’S TALK DIRTY IN HAWAIIAN – John Prine - 4/1/2020

An American Treasure: John Prine. What better way to celebrate April Fool’s Day that with on of John’s goofiest and hilarious tunes.

Some good news on John’s condition: as of late yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon, John has been elevated to stable condition from critical. He is not out of the woods yet, but definitely improving.

This week in my attempt to send out good thoughts to John & his family, I am going to post some of my favorite of Prine’s songs. Stay strong, John. This world is a far more interesting and positive place with you in it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_vTY67Wd9I

1986

#424 – SOUVENIRS – John Prine - 3/31/2020

An American Treasure: John Prine. John is a soft-spoken, witty, clever performer whose kindness and optimism exude from all his lyrics. Kindness and optimism are traits we can use, these days especially.

This is one of John’s most poignant lyrics; a commentary on the passage of time.

This week in my attempt to send out good thoughts to John & his family, I am going to post some of my favorite of Prine’s songs. Stay strong, John. This world is a far more interesting and positive place with you in it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xhmPectY9U

1972

#424 – DEAR ABBY – John Prine - 3/30/2020

An American Treasure: John Prine. If you are fortunate enough to not yet been personally affected by COVID-19 this one may shake you as it did me. John has hospitalized and is in critical condition suffering from the virus that is on all of our lips. John is one of my favorite songwriters. He has been for a long, long, long time – since the first time I heard DEAR ABBY. It was the very first Prine song I’d ever heard and have been hooked ever since. For those of you who no longer read newspapers, the title may be lost on you. DEAR ABBY was an advice columnist in many of the country’s daily newspapers. Readers would send in letters with their requests for advice and Abby would dish out her particular brand of wisdom.

This week in my attempt to send out good thought to John & his family, I am going to post some of my favorite of Prine’s songs. Stay strong, John. This world is

A far more interesting and positive place with you in it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF8S5XB-eYs

1972

#1241 – TALK BACKWARDS – 12/13/2019

It seems fitting that this being a Friday the 13^th we should showcase one of America’s true lost legends, Mr. Steve Goodman, at his most twisted. Goodman is best known as the writer of “the best damned train song ever written”: CITY OF NEW ORLEANS. He came up with the great songwriters of the late 60’s and early 70’s like John Prine, Jimmy Buffett, Jackson Browne, Jim Croce, Jimmy Webb, et al. Not only was he capable of writing serious songs (BANANA REPUBLICS, THE BALLAD OF PENNY EVANS), he wrote some of the most cleaver and hilarious songs I have ever heard (WATCHING JOEY GLOW, AIN’T NEVER HEARD YOU PLAY NO BLUES, YOU NEVER EVEN CALL ME BY MY NAME) including this one, from his 1980 LP “Hot Spot”. As you can tell from this clip, he’s a pretty fair picker, too. We lost Goodman after a long battle with cancer in 1984.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0niyTcxeqs

1980