Friday, December 30, 2011

Andrew Calhoun and John Prine

Can anyone name another folk song written by one singer-songwriter about another that steers clear of any and all obsequiousness and actually ventures into warts and all territory?

Andrew Calhoun's "Goin' Down To See John Prine" is the only one I can locate. A segment of his lyrics:
"... At the folkie's Sunday softball, for weeks they had it planned
John would come to play a game with his entire band
I had my year-old son there, we had brought him down to see
A man who just ignored him, and barely noticed me
He was out of shape and shouting, like his good time wasn't real
Then he headed out for a private thing with the boys in center field
And I wished it didn't matter, and I wished I didn't care
Just my tough luck to love someone who wasn't really there
On a sunny summer afternoon, for me the game was blown
Who'd believe this strung-out fool was the man who wrote "Sam Stone"? ...
The song is on Andrew's "Tiger Tattoo" release.

Here's a version:

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