And this time, it’s not good. I’ve always loved John Prine. My husband, Roberto, is the one who turned me onto his songs. I appreciate the brilliance of his lyrics and often thought that you can’t make stuff like this up. You have to LIVE it to be able to construct lyrics like “There’s a hole in daddy’s arm where all the money goes,” and “Sam Stone was alone when he popped his last balloon, climbing walls while sitting in a chair.”

Sadly, this recent (April 2007) performance by Prine shows that he’s on the decline. While I’ve lost track of how old he is (he must be at least Robert’s age and Robert just turned 59), his slurred speech leads me to believe he’s drunk or heavily medicated in this performance. What a shame.

SAM STONE (John Prine)


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:] 

There's a hole in daddy's arm  

where all the money goes, 

Jesus Christ died for nothin' I suppose. 

Little pitchers have big ears, 

Don't stop to count the years, 

Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios. 

Mmm.... 



Sam Stone's welcome home 

Didn't last too long.

He went to work when he'd spent his last dime 

And Sammy took to stealing 

When he got that empty feeling 

For a hundred dollar habit without overtime.  

And the gold rolled through his veins 

Like a thousand railroad trains, 

And eased his mind in the hours that he chose, 

While the kids ran around  wearin' other peoples' clothes... 



[Repeat Chorus] 


Sam Stone was alone 

When he popped his last balloon 

Climbing walls while sitting in a chair 

Well, he played his last request 

While the room smelled just like death 

With an overdose hovering in the air 

But life had lost its fun 

And there was nothing to be done 

But trade his house that he bought on the G.I. Bill 

For a flag-draped casket on a local heroes' hill. 



[Repeat Chorus] 

If you know me, you know my age. If you don’t, well, you’ll just have to figure it out. But the important thing to remember is that I’ve become quite vain as I hurtle toward that half-century mark. Most of the time, I’m told I look much younger than I actually am. This may be because I don’t usually act my age.

But there are some clues flying around out there that I’m no spring chicken anymore. One such was the other day when I was out shopping in a department store. I had my cute little crop pants on, makeup still on from work, I thought I looked okay. I took my purchases (cute clothes and shoes and other girly girl stuff) to the counter to pay. As I’m standing there, the sales clerk asks me how old I am. (Well, it wasn’t a bar so I knew I wasn’t being carded, so I told her.) And then I committed a mortal sin. I asked her, “Why do you ask?” I should not have done that. Do you know what she told me? She said, “Oh, I just wanted to know if you qualified for the senior citizen discount, it’s Tuesday.”

Oh My Dog. Oh Long John. Oh Long Johnson. Oh Don Piaaaano. I couldn’t believe my ears. I told her, “Even if I show up in here with FRESH CEMETERY DIRT IN MY HAIR, do not give me the senior citizen discount!” I felt like Shirley MacLaine in Terms of Endearment after Debra Winger informed her she was about to become a grandmother!

You and Tom .. are in my thoughts!

Narrow Daylight

I’m not a religious person, but I believe in YOUR right to worship as you choose. To destroy a building like this, in the name of God, Allah, Mickey Mouse or George Bush, is just incredible to me. This is the kind of animalistic behavior that should be stopped. And these people want that land for themselves? For what? So they can burn it to the fricking ground?

More puzzling is the reaction to the sentences that several young men were given for the burning of a MOSQUE in Nis that same year (2004). The Muslim community was outraged over that. Let’s review: Burning a MOSQUE? Bad. Burning a CHURCH? Hunky-fucking dory.

Just to show you the beauty of these sacred buildings, here are some photographs of various churches, mosques and temples around the world.

Mosque in Cairo

Mosque in Lebanon

Synagogue in Berlin

Detail of Synagogue in Budapest

Greek Orthodox Church

Serbian Orthodox Monastery

St. Sava Temple in Belgrade, Serbia

I’m off to work. All you other wage slave donkeys out there .. Have a happy Monday and a great work week!