John Prine Quotes & Sayings

The scientific nature of the ordinary man is to go out and do the best you can. — John Prine

I think the more the listener can contribute to the song, the better; the more they become part of the song, and they fill in the blanks. Rather than tell them everything, you save your details for things that exist. Like what color the ashtray is. How far away the doorway was. So when you're talking about intangible things like emotions, the listener can fill in the blanks and you just draw the foundation. — John Prine

Broken hearts and dirty windows
Make life difficult to see
That's why last night and this morning
Always look the same to me — John Prine

I guess if you keep making the same mistake long enough, it becomes your style. — John Prine

I edit as I go. Especially when I go to commit it to paper. I prefer a typewriter even to a computer. I don't like it. There's no noise on the computer. I like a typewriter because I am such a slow typist. I edit as I am committing it to paper. I like to see the words before me and I go, "Yeah, that's it." They appear before me and they fit. I don't usually take large parts out. If I get stuck early in a song, I take it as a sign that I might be writing the chorus and don't know it. Sometimes,you gotta step back a little bit and take a look at what you're doing. — John Prine

I guess what I always found funny was the human condition. There is a certain comedy and pathos to trouble and accidents. Like, when a driver has parked his car crookedly and then wonders why he has the bad luck of being hit. — John Prine

Blow up your TV ... throw away your paper ... move to the country and build you a home. Plant a little garden ... eat a lot of peaches ... try and find Jesus on your own. — John Prine

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 LIVIN' IS JUST A HARD WAY TO GO ... — John Prine

Jesus was a good guy, he didn't need this shit. — John Prine

Oodles of light what a beautiful sight
Both of God's eyes are shining tonight — John Prine

How the hell can a person go to work in the morning
And come home in the evening and have nothing to say — John Prine

Some of the songs come so fully, it's like they are pre-packaged. There have been a couple that came in the middle of the night. And I thought, jeez, I'll never forget that. And went back to sleep, and it was gone. You'll hear something years later that another songwriter that you respect writes, and you go, jeez, I think that was the remnants of that song that got sent to me. — John Prine

Now Jesus, he don't like killing, no matter what the reason is for, and your flag decal won't get you into heaven anymore. — John Prine

I just tried to come up with some honest songs. What I was writing about was real plain stuff that I wasn't sure was going to be interesting to other people. But I guess it was ... I've never had any discipline whatsoever. I just wait on a song like I was waiting for lightning to strike. And eventually-usually sometime around 3 in the morning-I'll have a good idea. By the time the sun comes up, hopefully, I'll have a decent song. — John Prine

I come home from work this evening
there was a note in the frying pan
said Fix Your Own Supper Babe
I Run Off With The Fuller Brush Man
Well I sat down at the table
screamed & hollered & cried
I commenced to carring on
'till I almost lost my mind
and I miss the way
she used to Yell At Me
the way she used to Cuss & Moan
and if I ever go out
and get married again
I'll never leave my wife
at home
The Frying Pan
Diamonds In The Rough
John Prine — John Prine

Steady losing means you ain't using what you really think is right — John Prine

Bowl of oatmeal tried to stare me down... and won. — John Prine

Bewildered, bewildered, you have no complaint. You are what you are, and you ain't what you ain't. — John Prine

I'm fascinated by America ... it's so odd. — John Prine

And you may see me tonight with an illegal smile. It don't cost very much, but it lasts a long while. Won't you please tell the man I didn't kill anyone.
No,I'm just tryin' to have me some fun. — John Prine

You can fool some of the people part of the time in a rock and roll song, fifty million Elvis Presley fans can't be all wrong. — John Prine

I always knew Gordon Lightfoot was a really great songwriter, but his stuff even sounds better and better all the time. It's just so really good to me. It's just like that's what should be in a dictionary, you know, next to a really good contempory folk song, is a Gordon Lightfoot song. — John Prine

Writing is about a blank piece of paper and leaving out what's not supposed to be there. — John Prine

If heartaches was commercials, we'd all be on TV. — John Prine

Now Jesus don't like killin'/No matter what the reason's for. — John Prine

If dreams were thunder and lightning was desire this old house would have burned down a long time ago — John Prine