John Prine, revered singer-songwriter from Maywood, dies at 73 of COVID-19 complications

[Anti Federalist]

John Prine, revered singer-songwriter from Maywood, dies at 73 of COVID-19 complications

https://www.chicagotribune.com/enter...4mu-story.html

By STEVE JOHNSON CHICAGO TRIBUNE | APR 07, 2020 | 8:36 PM

Talking about the singer-songwriter John Prine, Bob Dylan said, “Prine’s stuff is pure Proustian existentialism. Midwestern mind trips to the nth degree. And he writes beautiful songs.”

“Proustian existentialism?” Prine told the Tribune in a 2010 interview, shortly before returning to play at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music, where he took guitar lessons as a teenager from Maywood. "I can’t even pronounce that.”

That dichotomy between highest-level professional respect and the shoulder shrug of a blue-collar songwriting craftsman epitomized the career of Prine, which took him from postal routes in the western suburbs to Chicago’s blossoming 1970 folk scene to, just this February, a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys.

After decades of health troubles and being stricken with COVID-19 during the global pandemic of 2020, Prine died Tuesday at 73 in a Nashville hospital after being on a ventilator for more than a week.

Fans and fellow musicians had followed the saga of Prine’s health through the tweets of his wife and manger, Fiona Whelan Prine. In her last update, Thursday night, she said he had double pneumonia "and yet I remain hopeful that he can continue to fight this devastating virus and come home where we can care for him.”

[phill4paul]

A hard hit. A cold shot. I'm aware he was a progressive. But, he was an amazing song writer. One of my favorites went like this.....the 'girl' to me is America. I think it probably was to him too.

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
And she was born on the fourth of July
Well she lived in an aluminum house trailer
And she worked in a juke box saloon
And she spent all the money that I give her
Just to see the old man in the moon
I used to sleep at the foot of old glory
And awake in the dawn's early light
But much to my surprise when I opened my eyes
I was a victim of the great compromise
Well we'd go out on Saturday evenings
To the drive-in on Route 41
And it was there that I first suspected
That she was doin' what she'd already done
She said, "Johnny won't you get me some popcorn"
And she knew I had to walk pretty far
And as soon as I passed through the moonlight
She hopped into a foreign sports car
I used to sleep at the foot of old glory
And awake in the dawn's early light
But much to my surprise when I opened my eyes
I was a victim of the great compromise
Well you know I could have beat up that fellow
But it was her that had hopped into his car
Many times I'd fought to protect her
But this time she was goin' too far
Now some folks they call me a coward
'Cause I left her at the drive-in that night
But I'd rather have names thrown at me
Than to fight for a thing that ain't right
I used to sleep at the foot of old glory
And awake in the dawn's early light
But much to my surprise when I opened my eyes
I was a victim of the great compromise
Now she writes all the fellows love letters
Saying "Greetings, come and see me real soon"
And they go and line up in the barroom
And spend the night in that sick woman's room
But sometimes I get awful lonesome
And I wish she was my girl instead
But she won't let me live with her
And she makes me live in my head
I used to sleep at the foot of old glory
And awake in the dawn's early light
But much to my surprise when I opened my eyes
I was a victim of the great compromise

[RonZeplin]

RIP John

[oyarde]

RIP

[Todd]

You know I admit I never even really knew much about this guy until a year back. And now he's gone?

[shakey1]

Leaves a hole in my heart... will miss him dearly.

[RonZeplin]

[shakey1]

A hard hit. A cold shot. I'm aware he was a progressive. But, he was an amazing song writer. One of my favorites went like this.....the 'girl' to me is America. I think it probably was to him too.

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
And she was born on the fourth of July
Well she lived in an aluminum house trailer
And she worked in a juke box saloon
And she spent all the money that I give her
Just to see the old man in the moon
I used to sleep at the foot of old glory
And awake in the dawn's early light
But much to my surprise when I opened my eyes
I was a victim of the great compromise
Well we'd go out on Saturday evenings
To the drive-in on Route 41
And it was there that I first suspected
That she was doin' what she'd already done
She said, "Johnny won't you get me some popcorn"
And she knew I had to walk pretty far
And as soon as I passed through the moonlight
She hopped into a foreign sports car
I used to sleep at the foot of old glory
And awake in the dawn's early light
But much to my surprise when I opened my eyes
I was a victim of the great compromise
Well you know I could have beat up that fellow
But it was her that had hopped into his car
Many times I'd fought to protect her
But this time she was goin' too far
Now some folks they call me a coward
'Cause I left her at the drive-in that night
But I'd rather have names thrown at me
Than to fight for a thing that ain't right
I used to sleep at the foot of old glory
And awake in the dawn's early light
But much to my surprise when I opened my eyes
I was a victim of the great compromise
Now she writes all the fellows love letters
Saying "Greetings, come and see me real soon"
And they go and line up in the barroom
And spend the night in that sick woman's room
But sometimes I get awful lonesome
And I wish she was my girl instead
But she won't let me live with her
And she makes me live in my head
I used to sleep at the foot of old glory
And awake in the dawn's early light
But much to my surprise when I opened my eyes
I was a victim of the great compromise

Good analogy.

[shakey1]

[shakey1]

An oldie...