A sort of Homecoming for A Really Cool Guy

© John Prine Shrine 2000

February 26, 2000

"There was a place called DeMarco's that had go-go girls,  rock and roll,  and  is where all the underage kids went, I got in using my postal I.D.  I remember  taking my girlfriend there on New Years Eve, I had been trying to impress her all night. There was a black light that made everything white look the same, and when we stood up to leave, everything on the table fell to the floor-- I had tucked the tablecloth into my pants." John chortled,  "What a rich childhood"

 
Donald and Lydia
Please Don't Bury Me, "That was for my gymnastics team," cracked Prine.

"All 4 of us were born and raised on 1st Ave about 1½ blocks from school. I could see the clock tower but never made it to class in time.  I graduated in January, and went to the office to pick up my diploma.  The custodian was there and he said "Hey, you got your diploma?"  Prine shrugged "And that was my ceremony."
  
"My dad was a tool and die maker so we didn't take a lot of vacations because he was working all the time.  When we would take a trip, he would sit at the table and plot out a circle so we wouldn't pass the same thing twice.  We would all pile into the car and dad would drive, and that was back in the days of those old two lane highways.  Dad would go to pass a truck and he'd just get past and into the lane as an oncoming car was about to hit us head on.  I remember my mother saying "My god Bill, you're going to kill every one of us!" John's eyes got big and he looked dumfounded at the audience, "this woman has never lied to us......" Bottomless Lake
"If you don't have an ending to a song, you better have a moral"

Mexican Home 

"This next song is for Lois and Ernie, I started out as delivering mail to Maywood, and then Broadview, and ended up with Westchester... routes nobody wanted.  We hated to see Readers Digest come, people who would get them, would get them for the rest of their lives....I didn't read any of it except for humor in uniform.  At the height of the Viet Nam war, there was a  silent majority , they were really quiet - Reader's Digest was part of it, they just stuck these plastic flag decals in their magazine, no reason, they just snuck them in there.   The next day, there were flag decals everywhere.  Anyway, Lois and Ernie owned the 'Dirty Book Store' and this good old protest song is for them."  Flag Decal

"I drove around a scene where 2 things happened...there was local rape, and I remember this guy asked 'Was he black or white?'  "I don't know why he asked that because a rapist is a rapist.  While I was there I saw an accident of a girl I was enamored. It actually happened at 20th and Division and Pamela lived near 3rd and Green.  It was a 4 way stop - I went by there today and they have a Dangerous Intersection sign there now.  I hope my song didn't have anything to do with it"  - The Accident

 I was off for six months recuperating from my cancer treatment and getting lazy reading Archie comics.  One day Billy Bob Thornton called to do a movie called "Daddy and Them"  where I played  Andy Griffith's son so that makes me Opie's step-brother.  This movie is so important they haven't figured out when to put it out.  Billy Bob asked me to write a song for the movie, and I always wondered how they figured out what songs go into a movie, because sometimes they put a song in a movie that has nothing to do with the movie, so I asked Billy Bob if I should write a song that is about the movie or not...Billy Bob just said..."umggghhh."  I usually do this song with Iris DeMent, she sings the girl part, but since she's not here, I'll sing both parts.
 In Spite of Ourselves
Sam Stone
Bear Creek
Ain't Hurtin' Nobody

We hear a robust voice requesting from the balcony "That's the Way that the World Goes Round".
 Stepping forward with a grin John replied "Yeah, I love that one too."

He introduced his back up talent, "The best bass I've ever had. Dave Jacques."  David is a mellow bass player who is literally part of his instrument when he plays...he gets this heavenly orgasmic look on his face, and you can tell that he is there somewhere in bass players heaven, with every note. 

 Jason Wilber is an accomplished artist who started with John when he was still a little bit jailbait.  Now 5 years later and 23, he has become a strong compliment to John's style.
"and I'm Bill and Verna Prine's boy, Johnny."

Sins of Memphisto

Lake Marie - They have done a bit of  decorating to Lake Marie, my seat behind the soundboard was fascinating as soundman Eric fiddled with the zillions of knobs - making echoes and such on the tail ends of word in the last verse..That line that we all love so much......"and man, they were sizzlin"  was replaces with a whole lot of audience hissing "Sssssssssssssss"

This is usually the time for the  thank you 's and goodnight's and they  leave the stage.  We clapped and readied ourselves for an encore when Lois and Ernie Bauman, the owners of the struggling Fine Arts came out on stage.  They thanked all the volunteers and were truly moved at the turnout and outpouring of help from the community.
They called John out on stage, who by that time traded his shirt and tie, for the comfort of a white tee shirt under his black suit.  They presented him with this big beautiful blue glass vase and that was inscribed "The First Ever Really Cool Guy From Proviso East 1964" in recognition of fabulous music that has made us proud...and this was kissed by a real Pirate!

As he stood there receiving waves of applause, these itty bitty pink ballerinas came out and handed each him bouquets of roses.  One at a time they gracefully crossed the stage,  handed him a bouquet and, did an arabesque  and dashed off.  Then the teeniest tiniest pink tutu of all came across stage, dainty and sweet and handed him one red rose,   John really was the big door prize tonight...up there on his alma mater stage sittin on his very own rainbow.  He thanked everyone again and held up his vase full of roses and  announced "Party at Seville's!"

He called for the younger Billy and the elder David Prine brothers to play the encore of Paradise..they  each did a solo...the cameras were flashing...the dogs were barking and everyone was there.  It was truly a night to remember, If I had my druthers, I would like to see an album made from this....complete with the tales that went with the songs.  Just fascinating....it was such a pleasure to share in something that was so special to John, and knowing that he was even giving more back to his community, just made it that much nicer.