And a happy Labor Day to you and yours, comrades.
• One Big Union: The Industrial Workers of the World.
• Fascist v. centrist: A new “people’s party?”
• Utah Phillips: The Long Memory.
• New Mexicans on the dole: A Labor Day like no other.
• Lost wages: Income shrinks along with unions.
Said to be the last song John Prine recorded. He wrote it with longtime collaborator Pat McLaughlin.
Me, I don’t remember much. And a lot of what I do remember I’d like to forget.
But I don’t ever want to forget John Prine.
“A wop bop alu bop, a wop bam boom!”
Rolling Stone called it “what has to be considered the most inspired rock lyric ever recorded.” Some may disagree; it is a high bar to hop. But Little Richard was most definitely inspired, and one of a kind, a true trailblazer.
As Jim Dodge noted in “Not Fade Away”:
“Little Richard had returned to the Church, but because he was wearing lipstick and eye shadow the Church wasn’t sure what to do with him.”
Now he’s gone on ahead. That Big Band Beyond best have its game on. Wooooooo!
That Next World Orchestra just keeps getting bigger and better.
I met John Prine once, at the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s 20th-anniversary show at Denver McNichols Arena in 1986, and don’t I wish I could have a do-over for those few moments.
My guitar and I were butchering a few choice selections from his first, self-titled album and “Sweet Revenge” just this afternoon.
Well, mostly it was me. Wasn’t the guitar’s fault. Sure as shit wasn’t John Prine’s fault. Plenty of people — poets, musicians, authors, and journalists — would call it a career after writing a line as good as “There’s a hole in Daddy’s arm where all the money goes.” He wrote whole albums that good and just kept on writing them.
Condolences and peace to all who loved him. This ol’ man has finally gone to town. Here’s The New York Times obit. And here’s a note from John’s wife, Fiona.
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