A John Prine Christmas
Pretty paper
Pretty ribbons of blue.
(spoken) Man oh man,
I just love Christmas
it's just so darn neat.
I kinda wish every day was Christmas,
except Christmas eve and the Fourth of July.
We wouldn't want to miss out on the fireworks, would we?
When I was a kid, we used to get the Christmas catalog from Montgomery Wards in Chicago.
Sometimes we'd get it as early as late August.
It was the big book of wishes, hopes and desires.
My three brothers and I were allotted twenty-five bucks a piece, including tax.
So I'd make up a different Christmas list every night
from the first of September 'til the twenty-forth of December.
Matter of fact, let me present you with my Christmas credentials.
When I was three years old, at least that's what my mother told me,
I ate an entire ornament. I ate a big red one, I thought it was an apple.
They kinda freaked out and was gonna take me to the hospital
but they couldn't stop me from laughing so they just left me alone.
So I guess I still got that Christmas in me all the time, you know?
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song performed by John Prine
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You Never Can Tell
It was a teenage wedding
And the old folks wished em well
You could see that pierre
Did truly love the mademoiselle.
And the young monsieur and madame
Have rung the chapel bell,
Cest la vie,
-say the old folks
It goes to show that you never can tell
They furnished off an apartment
With a two room roebuck sale
The coolerator was filled
With t.v. dinners and ginger ale
But when pierre found work,
The little money comin worked out well
Cest la vie,
-say the old folks
It goes to show that you never can tell
They had a hi-fi phono
Boy, did they let it blast
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song performed by John Prine
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He Forgot That It Was Sunday
The motel lights were blinkin
On my chartreuse four door lincoln
On the dock the fish were stinkin
I simply didnt have a care
And the old men sit round the cracker barrels
The children hum their christmas carols
The train tracks all run parallel
But theyll all meet up one day
On a dusty pew in a vestibule
Sits the devil playing pocket pool
Hes waiting for the next poor fool
Who forgot that it was sunday
We used to tell each other lies
With our orange plastic button eyes
In a former life on a motel chair
I was charlie parkers teddy bear
Yeah, me and bird wed stay up late
I used to watch him contemplate
While his horn would sit by the window and
Wait till it was time for him to blow it
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song performed by John Prine
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Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore
While digesting reader's digest
In the back of a dirty book store,
A plastic flag, with gum on the back,
Fell out on the floor.
Well, i picked it up and i ran outside
Slapped on my window shield,
And if i could see old betsy ross
I tell her how good i feel.
Chorus:
But your flag decal won't get you
Into heaven any more.
They're already overcrowded
From your dirty little war.
Now jesus don't like killin'
No matter what the reason's for,
And your flag decal won't get you
Into heaven any more.
Well, i went to the bank this morning
And the cashier he said to me,
"if you join the christmas club
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song performed by John Prine
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Aint Hurtin Nobody
Im a walkin down the street like lucky larue
Got my hand in my pocket Im thinkin bout you
I aint hurtin nobody
I aint hurtin no one
Theres three hundred men in the state of tennessee
Theyre waiting to die, they wont never be free
I aint hurtin nobody
I aint hurtin no one
Six million seven hundred thousand and thirty-three lights on
You think someone could take the time to sit down
And listen to the words of my song
At the beach in indiana I was nine years old
Heard little richard singing tutti frutti
From the top of a telephone pole
I wasnt hurtin nobody
I wasnt hurtin no one
Theres roosters laying chickens and chickens layin eggs
Farm machinery eating peoples arms and legs
I wasnt hurtin nobody
I wasnt hurtin no one
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song performed by John Prine
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You Got Gold
Is there ever enough space between us
To keep us both honest and true?
Why is it so hard just to sit in the yard
And stare at the sky so blue?
Ive got a new way of walking and a new way of talking
Honey when Im around you,
But it gives me the blues when Ive got some good news
And youre not there to bring it to.
Life is a blessing, its a delicatessen
Of all the little favors you do.
All wrapped up together no matter the weather,
Baby you always come through.
Its a measure of treasure that gives me the pleasure
Of loving you the way I do
And you know I would gladly say I need your love badly
And bring these little things to you.
Cause you got gold
Gold inside of you
You got gold
Gold inside of you
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song performed by John Prine
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Be My Friend Tonight
I threw a party. nobody came.
I bought all the tickets. they cancelled the game.
I give you my picture. it didnt fit your frame
Be my friend tonight
Be my friend tonight. be my friend tonight.
Ill sleep on the couch. you can leave on that light.
Well, I wont do nothing wrong till you say its right
Come on honey, be my friend tonight
Now you bring the glasses and Ill bring the wine
Ill rub your shoulders just like they were mine
I wont make no passes till its passing time
If youre only gonna be my buddy tonight
Be my friend tonight. be my friend tonight.
Ill sleep on the couch. you can leave on that light.
Well, I wont do nothing wrong till you say its right
Come on darling, be my friend tonight
Well, Ill mind my manners. my ps and qs
I wont give you nothing that you cant use
Ill whip out that old guitar and sing you the blues
Be my friend tonight
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song performed by John Prine
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Ubangi Stomp
Well, I rocked over italy and I rocked over spain
I rocked in memphis it was all the same
Till I rocked to africa and rolled off ship.
And seen them natives doing a odd looking skip
I parted the weeds and looked over the swamp
I seen them cats doing the ubangi stomp
Ubangi stomp with rock and roll
Beats anything thats ever been told
Ubangi stomp ubangi style
When the beat just drives a cool cat wild
Well, I looked up the chief and he invited me in
Said a heap big jam session bout to begin
He handed me a tom-tom I picked up the beat
That crazy thing sent shivers to my feet
Rocked and rolled and I skipped with a smile
Ubangi stomp ubangi style
Ubangi stomp with rock and roll
Beats anything thats ever been told
Ubangi stomp ubangi style
When the beat just drives a cool cat wild
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song performed by John Prine
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Sam Stone
Sam stone came home,
To his wife and family
After serving in the conflict overseas.
And the time that he served,
Had shattered all his nerves,
And left a little shrapnel in his knee.
But the morphine eased the pain,
And the grass grew round his brain,
And gave him all the confidence he lacked,
With a purple heart and a monkey on his back.
Chorus:
Theres a hole in daddys arm where all the money goes,
Jesus christ died for nothin I suppose.
Little pitchers have big ears,
Dont stop to count the years,
Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios.
Mmm....
Sam stones welcome home
Didnt last too long.
He went to work when hed spent his last dime
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song performed by John Prine
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Donald & Lydia
Small town, bright lights, saturday night,
Pinballs and pool halls flashing their lights.
Making change behind the counter in a penny arcade
Sat the fat girl daughter of virginia and ray
(spoken:)
Lydia
Lydia hid her thoughts like a cat
Behind her small eyes sunk deep in her fat.
She read romance magazines up in her room
And felt just like sunday on saturday afternoon.
Chorus:
But dreaming just comes natural
Like the first breath from a baby,
Like sunshine feeding daisies,
Like the love hidden deep in your heart.
Bunk beds, shaved heads, saturday night,
A warehouse of strangers with sixty watt lights.
Staring through the ceiling, just wanting to be
Lay one of too many, a young pfc:
(spoken:)
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song performed by John Prine
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