18 John Prine Quotes That Are as True Now as They Are Then
John Edward Prine, born October 10, 1946 and lived through April 7, 2020, was an American Singer-Songwriter of country folk music. John Prine left the world with more quotes of pure wisdom than we could ever realistically hope to get our hands on. He influenced singer-songwriters and musicians across numerous genres and generations. Prine was known for his iconic blend of notably humurous lyrics centered on love, life, and current events, as he was with his comments more so focused on social commentary and satire. He was an active and unforgettable composer that will echo into eternity as a legend from the early 1970s onwards.
1. On making yourself laugh
“If I can make myself laugh about something that I should be crying about, that’s pretty good.”
2. On guitar picking
“As far as guitar picking, if I make the same mistakes at the same time every day, people will start calling it a style.”
3. On songwriting
“I could never teach a class on songwriting. I’d tell them to goof off and find a good hideout.”
4. On not fitting in
“I don’t concern myself with where I fit in. I just keep my head down and keep doing whatever it is I’m going.”
5. On voices not blending
“Some voices don’t blend. They just kinda rub against each other.”
6. On empathy
“In my songs, I try to look through someone else’s eyes, and I want to give the audience a feeling more than a message.”
7. On dedicated fans
“Along the way, we have had some wonderful adventures and have met thousands of dedicated fans – indeed, many of them feel like family to us now.”
8. On the weekend persona
“I’m kind of like the Lone Ranger or Batman. I can just go to my mansion and jump out in my uniform and sing on weekends.”
9. On Christmas trees
“I don’t like to see Christmas trees torn down.”
10. On overreaching for a song
“I think it shows when you have to work too hard on a song.”
11. On not being too serious
“When I’m writing a lyric, things can only get so serious before they start becoming humorous.”
12. On being told to work
“If somebody tells me to work or exercise, I go the other way. I’ll come up with an excuse.”
13. On having a sense of humor
“My sense of humor has saved me more than a couple of times in my life.”
14. On new machines being invented
“People keep inventing all these new machines, and producers and recording engineers keep wanting to use them.”
15. On embracing loneliness
“I embraced loneliness as a kid. I know what loneliness is. When you’re at the end of your rope. I never forget those feelings.”
16. On a proper sad song
“I just like a good, sad song. The sadder, the better. It moves me.”
17. On truthful songwriting
“I try to write about things that actually happened so that I know it’s real before I put it down on paper.”
18. On starting a record company
“People thought we were crazy for starting a record company. They really thought I was shooting myself in the foot.”
