RIP John Prine
I’ve loved this song for a long, long time:
This article says he died of COVID-19 complications. That last word is a bit confusing. He had a history of successfully treated lung cancer from 2013, so it’s not clear how that factored into it. Prine had been hospitalized with COVID-19 since March 26 and on a ventilator since March 28.
Last time I saw Prine was with Irise deMint in Davenport, great concert. Prine was a treasure. RIP
Hello inThere or Angel in Montegromery.which is the greatest song?
What a songwriter, what a heartbreaking song. He, at least, didn’t suffer that kind of old age: he was in the middle of his life, on tour in Europe, in February. He had to interrupt the tour and come home for hip surgery, and then this happened.
To believe in this living is just a hard way to go.
While at college, I saw him play in 1971. Have been a fan ever since, though I can’t claim to be a very knowledgeable one. One of those guys who defined what it meant to be a singer-songwriter. His duet, “In Spite of Ourselves,” with Iris DeMent was legendary, but I never got to hear it. It’s on YouTube, of course.
Can’t believe he’s gone, but I’ve reached an age where that phrase keeps coming up. RIP.
On another note, cardiovascular disease in America has been cured! People have stopped dying from heart attacks and other sequelae of cardiovascular disease in this country as all such deaths are now reported as “complications of COVID”. Likewise for deaths related to all other communicable diseases and cancer. There is currently only one medical malady in this country–all other disease has seemingly been cured.
Here’s a nice story about Prine being discovered by Roger Ebert https://www.rogerebert.com/features/john-prine-american-legend
“There is currently only one medical malady in this country“
If someone gets hit and killed by a car because they’re in a wheelchair and can’t get out of the way, would you list their cause of death as “paralysis?”
Mike
If someone was on a hobby horse and refused to get off when the smoke detector or carbon monoxide detector went off would you ….
Not intentionally trying to double post as “ml.” Fat fingers somehow.
covid 19 complications… easy to know… ie pneumonia brought on by covid or fluid.. pluerisy… basically one condition causes a cascade of other things that are the actual cause of death..
think dominoes… if the last gigantic domino in a row crushes you… did you die of the last one, or the first small one that started the progression?
for those who want to see a visual of what i mean:
Amazing Domino Chain Reaction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgvcCiPpO_o
if your under the last big one, which is the thing that got you?
for want of a nail the shoe was lost
for want of a shoe the horse was lost
for want of a horse the king was lost
for want of a king the country was lost
another version (same thing except this has a physics dialogue explaining it) of the domino is called: Domino Chain Reaction (exponential growth in action)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y97rBdSYbkg
The Missing Years is one of my favorite albums of all time. Top to bottom, great songs. And “The Missing Years” is at times goofy, and absurd, and charming, and tragic.
Rest in peace
I was fortunate to see Prine perform live twice. As good a songwriter as he was – and he was one of the truly great ones – he was incredibly dynamic on stage when backed by a full band.
“Angel from Montgomery” is one of my favorite songs of all time. “Paradise” is one of my wife’s.
RIP Mr. Prine. Your music gave much pleasure to many – you left the world a better place than you found it.
For me, “Hello in There” every time.
I heard “Hello in There” playing as soon as I heard the news.
” if the last gigantic domino in a row crushes you… did you die of the last one, or the first small one that started the progression?” – Artfldgr
See the legal doctrine of “proximate cause.”
Neo, thanks so much for posting that song. I have never heard it before. Beautiful.
I lost my 87-year-old Dad in late January. He had battled heart disease for years, and was a few months into chemo for lung cancer. As hard as it was to say goodbye, in retrospect, the timing of his death was a blessing. He died at home, with hospice care, surrounded by family. We were able to have a “normal,” well-attended funeral for him, which was important to all of us, but particularly to my 85-year-old Mom. If he had lived even a few weeks longer, it would have been a very different situation in many respects.
My Dad was very sharp mentally, until the end of his life, but I have several friends who are caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s and/or dementia. I thought of them when I heard this song.
CV:
My condolences on your father’s death.
John Prine was a great songwriter whose reflexive leftism tarnished his work.
A simply fabulous portrait by Tom Piazza.
https://www.oxfordamerican.org/magazine/item/1562-living-in-the-present-john-prine
H/T Powerline blog