Hey kids,
Went to see John Prine last night at the Pioneer Center in Reno. Just a beautiful artist, so many of his songs bring me to my knees. I'm counting myself lucky to have seen him before he decides not to take it on the road anymore. He sounded kind of old and frail for the first couple of songs, then he hit his groove and sounded strong and clear the rest of the night.
Anyway, I didn't take you guys with me, although I think you might have enjoyed it. Maybe. I got home after you two went to bed, so I didn't see you until this morning. Jakob, you woke me up by snuggling up with me in bed. You said, "Daddy said you went to a concert last night." Before I could resign myself to trying to assuage hurt feelings, you continued, "I didn't get to go, but can I go next time?" Well, sure sweetie. Of course. If by next time, you mean AFTER Sunday, when Fran and I go to see the Avett Brothers.
Then you asked me what my favorite song was that he sang last night. I didn't have to think long to come up with "Lake Marie." There were a few songs last night that I did not know, and this was one of them. It just crawled up under my skin and stayed there the rest of the night, and the entire drive home.
LAKE MARIE
We were standing
Standing by peaceful waters
Standing by peaceful waters
Whoa Wah Oh Wha Oh
Whoa Wah Oh Wha Oh
Many years ago along the Illinois-Wisconsin Border
There was this Indian tribe
They found two babies in the woods
White babies
One of them was named Elizabeth
She was the fairer of the two
While the smaller and more fragile one was named Marie
Having never seen white girls before
And living on the two lakes known as the Twin Lakes
They named the larger and more beautiful Lake, Lake Elizabeth
And thus the smaller lake that was hidden from the highway
Became known forever as Lake Marie
Chorus
Many years later I found myself talking to this girl
Who was standing there with her back turned to Lake Marie
The wind was blowing especially through her hair
There was four italian sausages cooking on the outdoor grill
And Man, they was ssssssssizzlin'
Many years later we found ourselves in Canada
Trying to save our marriage and perhaps catch a few fish
Whatever came first
That night she fell asleep in my arms
Humming the tune to "Louie Louie'
Aah baby, We gotta go now.
Chorus
The dogs were barking as the cars were parking
The loan sharks were sharking the narcs were narcing
Practically everyone was there
In the parking lot by the forest preserve
The police had found two bodies in the woods
Nay, naked bodies
Their faces had been horribly disfigured by some sharp object
Saw it on the news On the TV news in a black and white video
You know what blood looks like in a black and white video?
Shadows, Shadows that's exactly what it looks like
All the love we shared between her and me was slammed
Slammed up against the banks of Old Lake Marie, Marie
We were standing
Standing by peaceful waters
Standing by peaceful waters
Whoa Wah Oh Wha Oh
Whoa Wah Oh Wha Oh
Here's another one, for good measure. "Everything is Cool" from the early '90s. Maybe I'm PMS'ing this week. But I've been listening to John Prine for the past few days and crying.
I saw a hundred thousand blackbirds
Just flying thru the sky
And they seemed to form a teardrop
From a black-haired angel's eye
That tear fell all around me
And it washed my sins away
WTF. How can you NOT cry.
Enough. Hope the two of you find music in your life that makes you sad. And makes you happy. And makes you happy and sad at the same time. Love you.
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