John Prine’s philosophy on life reflects a deep understanding of its complexities. One of his beliefs emphasizes self-acceptance and avoiding comparison to others.
He suggests that everyone is unique and has their own strengths and weaknesses, and it is important to focus on what one has instead of what they don’t have.
Another aspect of his philosophy is the value of hard work and determination. Prine encourages the ordinary man to strive for excellence and recognizes success as a result of consistent effort. He also shares personal experiences with loneliness and understands its impact on a person’s outlook on life.
The 10 Best John Prine Quotes
- “Bewildered, bewildered, you have no complaint. You are what you are, and you ain’t what you ain’t.”
- “The scientific nature of the ordinary man is to go out and do the best you can.”
- “I always feel like every song is the last song.”
- “There’s only two things. There’s life, and there’s death.”
- “Writing is about a blank piece of paper and leaving out what’s not supposed to be there.”
- “After cancer, I ain’t scared of nothing.”
- “I embraced loneliness as a kid. I know what loneliness is. When you’re at the end of your rope. I never forget those feelings.”
- “Ignorance is bliss as a writer, I think.”
- “You may be looking for someone / Someone may be looking for you / Someday you’ll awaken and open your eyes / And love will be looking at you.”
- “In my songs, I try to look through someone else’s eyes, and I want to give the audience a feeling more than a message.”
Prine values simplicity and clarity. He believes that less is often more and that writing should be focused on leaving out what is not needed. He tries to see things from other people’s perspectives in his songs and aims to create a feeling rather than deliver a message.
Image Source:
By Yellowstone National Park, YPF/Matt Ludin – John Prine, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=119870812
By Ron Baker (https://www.flickr.com/photos/kingsnake) – https://www.flickr.com/photos/kingsnake/225426648/, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5685417
