As I write this, John Prine is in the hospital on a ventilator, suffering from the symptoms of the coronavirus.
There are thousands in the United States and around the world suffering just like John. All I can do is hope for their speedy recovery.
I don’t want to lose anyone else. Like the rest of you, I want this to be over.
I was a latecomer to Prine’s music. Johnny Cash introduced me to The Singing Mailman. In his autobiography, Cash wrote about the songwriters he admired the most. The first that came to his mind was John Prine. There has never been a better debut album than Prine’s eponymous 1971 release.
I wish I could turn a phrase like Prine can. If my words turn you off to listening, that’s my fault. Instead, judge for yourself.
Since then, I have turned to Prine’s words and music in bad times. I knew that there was someone else out there who felt exactly as I did. I knew that there was someone else enduring pain and struggling to do their best. Prine also reminded me not to take things too seriously and to laugh, especially at myself.
Prine has sung about love and heartbreak, addiction, and redemption. He shined a light on the problems and inequalities in American society. He condemned war and plastic patriotism in songs like “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You into Heaven Anymore” and “The Great Compromise.” His messages remain relevant despite the passing of the decades. In “Caravan of Fools,” he criticized politicians and those who follow them without thinking for themselves.
I can’t pick just one, but “Crazy as a Loon,” “Lake Marie,” and “All the Best” are some of my favorites. Good luck listening to “Hello In There” without shedding a tear. In it, Prine reflects on the loneliness and isolation of the elderly, urging us to say hello to a senior citizen. It seems so long ago now, but before COVID-19 took center stage in our national consciousness, we were debating the phrase “Ok boomer.”
I sympathized with the younger activists who wanted to call out people who are old enough to know better. “Ok boomer” was a way for them to criticize those who they held responsible for trashing the environment, ignoring science, and passing along staggering debt onto future generations.
Those same people who held power benefited from affordable educations and unparalleled economic prosperity. They didn’t want to extend government subsidized medical care.
Although I sympathize with the desire to change the world for the better, I thought “Ok boomer” was mean and dismissive. Those who said it arrogantly presumed that some older people didn’t feel the same way. “Ok boomer” told the elderly that their experience and wisdom didn’t matter.
Those saying, “Ok boomer” should listen to Prine’s “Hello in There.”
Now some politicians and pundits are willing to sacrifice the lives of the elderly and at risk in a futile attempt to prop up the economy. They need to listen to “Hello in There” on a loop until they get the message.
You see, I’ve learned more from Prine, Cash, Willie Nelson and Townes Van Zandt than I ever have from a textbook or a sanctimonious speech by someone who claimed to have all the answers.
We have to do it virtually today, but take a minute to say “Hello in There” to someone who needs it. Get well John. We need you now more than ever.
Aaron Miller is one of The Republic’s community columnists and all opinions expressed are those of the writer. He has a doctorate in history and is an associate professor of history at Ivy Tech Community College — Columbus. Send comments to editorial@therepublic.com.
