The family of music legend John Prine have released singer/songwriter’s final track to the public. I Remember Everything is as meditative and somber as its title suggests, encapsulating the overwhelming clarity that comes with age, experience, and a vision of the end. Prine sadly passed away in April, following complications with coronavirus.
The track was released following Thursday night’s live-streamed tribute concert featuring Kacey Musgraves, Bill Murray, Brandi Carlile, and others.
John Prine’s final work has been released to fans, and it’s everything you would expect from the lyrical genius. Dark and brooding but comforting, the track is a stirring reflection of the singer’s final months.
The song was released alongside a recording of Prine performing in what appears to be his living room. Renowned for his ability to celebrate the holiness of the everyday, the singer strings well-known phrases into an armour of understanding.
“I’ve been down this road before, I remember every tree. Every single blade of grass holds a special place for me,” he sings as the song opens.
The track holds a level of reflection, and sensitivity that can only come from a lifetime. With each word professing a unique memory, Prine is laying out his world for us all to see.
“And I remember every town, And every hotel room, And every song I ever sang. With a guitar out of tune,” he sings. “I remember everything, Things I can’t forget, The way you turned and smiled on me. On the night that we first met.”
I Remember Everything was produced by the talents of Dave Cobb, and written alongside Prine’s longtime collaborator Pat McLaughlin. All the proceeds from Thursday’s tribute concert were donated to Make the Road New York, Alive Hospice, and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
