John Prine’s songwriting prowess, combined with his engaging performing personality, ensured that his catalog provided consistent excellence. His 18 studio albums offer great variety in terms of his musical approach for each one. But they’re all special in their way.
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Among his many other fantastic qualities, Prine displayed a knack for closing songs that put just the right bow on his LPs. Let’s look back at five of those closers that truly shine.
“Flashback Blues” from ‘John Prine’
John Prine’s debut album immediately stamped him as a singing-songwriting force. He workshopped the songs in his head while walking a mail route in Illinois. Once given the opportunity to record them, he churned out an absolute classic. Many of the songs contained loom large in his legend, including somber masterpieces like “Sam Stone” and “Hello In There” and humorous changes of pace like “Illegal Smile” and “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore”. “Flashback Blues” manages to split the difference between the two extremes, as Prine leaves us with a smile on his face and a tear in his eye.
“You Never Can Tell” from ‘Common Sense’
One of Prine’s favorite strategies throughout his career was to close out his albums with a cover song. It says something about his modesty and his respect for other writers that he would do that. He generally went with old country songs when he chose this route, and those tracks suited him well. But there’s something surprisingly natural about him covering Chuck Berry. After all, they shared a few characteristics as songwriters, including the clever humor and the tightness found in the lyrical lines. It’s no surprise then that Prine sounds so at home taking on “You Never Can Tell”, one of Berry’s most charming narratives.
“The Hobo Song” from ‘Bruised Orange’
After his debut album, Prine sometimes struggled to find the right musical feel for his albums. Common Sense, released in 1978, almost suffered that same fate. Prine pulled it out of the fire with help from producer (and old buddy) Steve Goodman. There’s a nice mix of styles found throughout what’s an especially sharp collection of songs. For the first time in years, Prine decided to use an original to finish the album. “The Hobo Song” stands out for the all-star chorus of backing vocalists, including Jackson Browne and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. It’s one of those songs that only Prine could pull off, a mix of sorrow and sweetness that honors a forgotten part of society.
“Jesus: The Missing Years” from ‘The Missing Years’
The title of Prine’s 1991 album offered a bit of sly commentary on the artist’s career. He had largely disappeared from the public eye in the 80s, a decade that had no idea what to do with him anyway. Prine then enjoyed the publicity of one of the all-star comeback albums that were all the rage back then. That title also refers to the brilliant closing track, “Jesus: The Missing Years”. Again, this song is a balancing act that seems like it would have tripped up other artists. Parts of it are laugh-out-loud funny. Yet Prine still manages to bring the story back around to familiar Biblical territory in a touching fashion.
“When I Get To Heaven” from ‘The Tree Of Forgiveness’
The Tree Of Forgiveness was a revelation upon its release in 2018. It showed that Prine’s skills had in no way diminished, either as a writer or as a performer. If anything, he somehow sounded spunkier, wiser, and more moving than ever. “When I Get To Heaven”, the last song on his last album, proved to be a fitting farewell, as devastating as it is that he didn’t get to follow it up with more magic. Once again, he treads the line between pathos and punch lines like nobody else can.
“Yeah, this old man is goin’ to town,” he signs off. That town certainly ended up with a special talent.
Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images
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