john prine
This evocative song is written by a young John Prine, and first released with his self-titled debut album from 1971. It reflects his songwriting for the following five decades.
I first heard Prine in the middle of the seventees, and got impressed by his plain voice, diversity, clever guitar picking, straight tunes and harmonies, his inventive lyrics and straight forward performance and production. Kris Kristofferson, one of his life-long friends, once said that "he writes songs so good that we'll have to break his thumbs". Incredibly, I've never picked up any of these songs until now, when he's gone; a victim of Covid 19. There may be more, in respect of the modest man and his mentoring of several artists in folk, country and rock music.
we had an apartment in the city
me and Loretta liked living there
well it'd been years since the kids had grown
a life of their own ... left us alone
John and Linda live in Omaha
and Joe is somewhere on the road
we lost Davy in the Korean war
and I still don't know what for
don't matter anymore
me and Loretta we don't talk much more
she sits and stares through the back door screen
and all the news just repeat itself
like some forgotten dream that we've both seen
someday I'll go and call up Rudy
we worked together at the factory
but what could I say if he asks "what's new?"
"nothing : what's with you ? nothing much to do"
you know that old trees just grow stronger
and old rivers grow wilder every day
old people just grow lonesome
waiting for someone to say "hello in there ... hello"
so if you're walking down the street sometime
and spot some hollow ancient eyes
please don't just pass 'em by and stare
as if you didn't care
say "hello in there ... hello"
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
E Asus2 B7 we had an apartment in the city E Asus2 B7 me and Loretta liked living there G#m A well it'd been years since the kids had grown C¤m B7 a life of their own left us alone E Asus2 B7 John and Linda live in Omaha E Asus2 B7 and Joe is somewhere on the road G#m A we lost Davy in the Korean war C#m and I still don't know what for B7 don't matter anymore D Asus2 E you know that old trees just grow stronger D Asus2 E and old rivers grow wilder every day G#m A old people just grow lonesome C#m F#m B7 E waiting for someone to say hello in there hello"
