John Prine is universally acknowledged as one of the greatest songwriters in the Americana movement. He plants pictures in the mind’s eye of the listener in a way few of his peers have managed. A large part of the visual quality of his songwriting stems from the characters he creates. Check out some of his best characters, below.
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1. The Angel from Montgomery
“Angel From Montgomery” sees Prine tell the story of a lonely housewife who dreams of escaping her current situation. When I was a young girl, well, I had me a cowboy / But that was a long time and no matter how I try / The years just flow by like a broken-down dam, he sings, embodying the spirit of “The Angel from Montgomery.”
Though the woman is unnamed throughout the song, the listeners feel intimately connected to her. We adopt her strife and pining. Prine proved time and time again that he was a deeply empathetic songwriter. This song is one of his most powerful songs in that vein.
2. Sam Stone
The story of the titular character in “Sam Stone” follows closely to that of many veterans after the Vietnam War. Sam Stone was alone / When he popped his last balloon…There was nothing to be done
But trade his house that he bought on the GI bill / For a flag-draped casket on a local hero’s hill, Prine sings.
This song is equal parts protest and poignant. While Prine is certainly issuing a message to those with the power to aid veterans, it’s also just a stellar story–one that Prine tells with tact.
3. Donald/Lydia
“Donald and Lydia” is a two-hander. Prine tells the intersecting stories of two lonely souls who find a reprieve with one another for a short time. Lydia is a young woman who flips through magazines and dreams of romance. Donald is a soldier who gets introspective in the wake of militarization.
In the final verse of this song, Prine reveals the kicker: When they was finished, there was nothing to say / ‘Cause mostly they made love from ten miles away.
(Photo by Tony Russell/Redferns/Getty Images)
