Over the years, a few friends, knowing my musical tastes, have asked about John Prine. Were we soulmates? Fact is, I never fully connected with the guy and didn't know why. I did respect his work at a distance.
That just changed. In scouting Iris DeMent for the last post, I came across her duet with Prine, on his goofy, charming, witty, touching, offbeat love song, "In Spite of Ourselves." Left Brain tells me not to take it too seriously, while Right Brain tells me it's brilliant and I can't take it seriously enough. If Prine's good-natured, teasing, self-effacing words don't capture what love is, including the heart's hyperbole for young and old, well, it's what love ought to be.
John Prine & Iris DeMent - In Spite of Ourselves - YouTube
And here is a young couple from Iowa, performing the song, inhabiting it, as we like to say in show biz. These two are the perfect picture of young love. That's not just a rhetorical gesture. They are ideal. These two, including her reserved, reluctant, Iowa adoration of him, and his slightly dumb pretense of control and dominance . . . these two are young love, though they're old enough to take seriously.
If you disagree, Take your jaded absence of soul down to the crick and noodle a big greasy catfish. I hope he bites you, stings you, fries up bad in your pan, stinks up your kitchen till the cows come home. No, stink forever.
So just be good. Listen, watch now, and fall down in worship:
In Spite of Ourselves - John Prine & Iris DeMent cover - 2010 Heart of Country - YouTube
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