John Prine' s Most Memorable Songs

John Prine, one of the most prolific country singers and songwriters died last April 7 due to coronavirus. He was tested positive on March 29, he was 73 years old.

For fifty years of his career according to NPR, he created many songs and albums that made his name remembered all across the music industry. From being a member of the US Armed Forces in Germany and being a mechanical engineer, he is now known for his songs that were being made renditions by some of the artists in the same genre. He is also an award winner, making many recognitions in his name mostly in Grammys.

Since his debut in 1971, he gathered many recognitions from his fans and critics because of the way he connects the world to his songs, according to the Boot article. He has the ability to portray the real aspects of the world in a song and that is being lauded by fellow artists like Bob Dylan. As a songwriter, he was also put into Halls of Fame by various music organizations. He was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award in the 2020 Grammys.

John Prine's Most Memorable Songs

Here are some of the songs that put John Prine to fame and recognition:

1.) Paradise (1971)

The song is one of Prine's debut songs. Paradise is his ode to a small mining town in Kentucky where his parent met, according to Rolling Stone. It is said that aside from being an ode, it is also a song criticizing the "predatory capitalist devastation." Prine said before that the Peabody Coal and Mining bought up the land, strip-mined and devastated the town.

2.) Sam Stone (1971)

"Sam Stone" is another song from Prine's first album. It is a heartbreaking story of a veteran who was addicted to heroin after he served the army. The song became one of the trademark tunes of Prine due to some shattering one-liners like "There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes/Jesus Chris(t) died for nothin', I suppose." According to Prine, a lot soldiers came home and got hooked on drugs. The Dept. of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD said that more than 2 out of 10 veterans who have SUD were due to PTSD as one of their way of dealing with PTSD symptoms.

3.) Lake Marie (1995)

"Lake Marie" is one of the most literary songs in any genre. The song brings listeners to the tale about abandoned babies, crumbling marriages and double homicide. According to The Boot's review, the song also has the decidedly upbeat music behind the lyrics and the layers of questions that a great song can conjure. It is also one of the favorite songs of Bob Dylan.

4.) Summer's End (2018)

The song is one of the newest songs of Prine. It part of his newest album, "The Tree of Forgiveness." It also shows that Prine's storytelling ability in making songs was said to be unique. The song also has a music video that shows the devastating effect of the opioid crisis in the United States.

5.) When I Get To Heaven (2018)

The song song is also part of Prine's last studio album. Hank Williams, under his alter-ego Luke the Drifter, laid out what Prine will do if he gets to heaven. He thanked all of the people who helped him like his parents, his departer relatives, people who encouraged him to enter the music industry, and even his critics.

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Country Music