It pains me have to update this, but John Prine left us today, April 7, 2020. This illness is taking its share of musicians it seems.
Originally posted March 29, 2020:
It is not in my common practice to share a song on this site, but as I write this, American singer-songwriter John Prine is in critical condition with symptoms of COVID-19. Like many, I will be listening to his music tonight, especially this, his signature composition made famous by Bonnie Raitt.
I think this song is especially relevant to our shared circumstances these days. This virus does not discriminate between race, ethnic group, religion, nationality, gender or income level. However, we can’t fool ourselves, those who have the least among us, the marginalized and disadvantaged in our respective communities stand to lose the most, to pay the highest price.
This song honours an aging woman with a rough life behind her and the simplest of dreams. I’m thinking of people like her, and the man who put her story to music at this moment.
Make me an angel that flies from Montgomery
Make me a poster of an old rodeo
Just give me one thing that I can hold on to
To believe in this living is just a hard way to go…
roughghosts 
sometimes songs are a way to feel what one cannot feel
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So true.
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I’ve been humming this song all afternoon. A prayer for John Prine, for all of us. Beautiful post, Joe. Stay well.
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Thanks, Theresa. I just had to put it out there, especially for anyone who might not know it. You take care too.
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Prine is a household god for us. He sang the “first dance” song at our wedding. He deserves all of these nice tributes.
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I’ve just read the most beautiful book, Symphony for the Man, by Sarah Brill, about a lonely young woman in Sydney who sees a homeless man in a bush shelter, and decides to write a symphony for him. While she works on it she gives him a CD of the Eroica, and yes, he finds a way to hear it even though he has no CD player. And I’m listening to it too, as I work on projects at my desk, acutely aware of the good fortune of my personal circumstances.
My music is not the same as yours but the inspiration is the same.
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