Music Monday: RIP John Prine

“When I get to Heaven, I’m going to shake God’s hand,

Thank him for more blessings, than one man can stand.”

Our first country music COVID-19-related death came at the end of last month when Joe Diffie died.  Our second came last week when John Prine died.  The two sat at opposite ends of country music.  Diffie had several radio hits during the pinnacle of country radio in the 90s.  Prine was a quintessential singer/songwriter with roots in the folk scene.

Johnny Cash put him in his songwriting Big 4, along with Rodney Crowell, Guy Clark, and Steve Goodman.  He co-write You Never Even Called Me By My Name with Goodman but refused to take a songwriting credit.  He got more attention for writing Angel From Montgomery.

John Prine and Hayes Carll, pic by Eric Frommer

 

“Make me an angel that flies from Montgomery,

Make me a poster of an old rodeo.

Just give me one thing that I can hold on to,

To believe in this living is just a hard way to go.”

 

“When I die let my ashes float down the Green River,

Let my soul roll on up to the Rochester dam.

I’ll be halfway to Heaven with Paradise waiting,

Just five miles away from wherever I am.”

 

“And then I’m gonna go find my mom and dad, and good old brother Doug.

Well I bet him and cousin Jackie are still cutting up a rug.

I wanna see all my mama’s sisters, ‘cause that’s where all the love starts,

I miss ’em all like crazy, bless their little hearts.”