John Prine – In Spite of Ourselves

He’s got more balls than a big brass monkey
He’s a wacked out weirdo and a love bug junkie
Sly as a fox and crazy as a loon
Payday comes and he’s a howlin’ at the moon

There will be only one John Prine. He was down-to-earth and a wonderful songwriter. This song describes more couples than people may think. Both describe their marriage to each other in a different light.

I do have a second-hand John Prine story. A friend of mine named Chris went to see John Prine and Arlo Guthrie in the ’80s and met John in the parking lot after the concert. Prine was really talkative and asked Chris if he could boost his car off…which he did. Chris told me he was really down to earth and a genuinely nice guy.

He wrote this for a movie called Daddy and Them released in 2001. Prine is in the movie also…he plays Billy Bob Thorton’s brother and Andy Griffith is their dad. Prine talked about it and said that made him Opie’s stepbrother.

Iris Dement dueted with Prine on this song and fit the song perfectly. Prine developed cancer in 1998 in his neck…and after the operation, he wasn’t sure if he could sing again. After recording this song…everyone was happy because he still could do it. It was originally released in 1999 on the album In Spite Of Ourselves…and was released again when the movie came out in 2001.

That album was an album of duets. He thought that most people would turn him down but most agreed.  Lucinda Williams, Trisha Yearwood, Connie Smith, Melba Montgomery, Emmylou Harris, Patty Loveless, and Dolores Keane also appear. In Spite of Ourselves was the only original song on the album…the rest were covers.

The album peaked at #21 on the Billboard Country Charts and 197 on the Billboard 100. Critic Robert Christgau wrote: “… the costar is Iris DeMent, who kills on both the Bobby Braddock cornpone of “(We’re Not) The Jet Set” (rhymes with “Chevro-let set”) and the conflicted spouse-swapping of the impossible old George & Melba hit “Let’s Invite Them Over”—as well as Prine’s only new copyright, the title track, in which a husband and wife who love each other to death paint totally different pictures of their marriage.

In Spite of Ourselves

She don’t like her eggs all runny
She thinks crossin’ her legs is funny
She looks down her nose at money
She gets it on like the Easter Bunny
She’s my baby
I’m her honey
I’m never gonna let her go

He ain’t got laid in a month of Sundays
I caught him once and he was sniffin’ my undies
He ain’t too sharp but he gets things done
Drinks his beer like it’s oxygen
He’s my baby
And I’m his honey
Never gonna let him go

In spite of ourselves
We’ll end up a’sittin’ on a rainbow
Against all odds
Honey, we’re the big door prize
We’re gonna spite our noses
Right off of our faces
There won’t be nothin’ but big ol’ hearts
Dancin’ in our eyes

She thinks all my jokes are corny
Convict movies make her horny
She likes ketchup on her scrambled eggs
Swears like a sailor when shaves her legs
She takes a lickin’
And keeps on tickin’
I’m never gonna let her go

He’s got more balls than a big brass monkey
He’s a wacked out weirdo and a love bug junkie
Sly as a fox and crazy as a loon
Payday comes and he’s a howlin’ at the moon
He’s my baby
I don’t mean maybe
Never gonna let him go

In spite of ourselves
We’ll end up a’sittin’ on a rainbow
Against all odds
Honey, we’re the big door prize
We’re gonna spite our noses right off of our faces
There won’t be nothin’ but big ol’ hearts
Dancin’ in our eyes

In spite of ourselves
We’ll end up a’sittin’ on a rainbow
Against all odds
Honey, we’re the big door prize
We’re gonna spite our noses right off of our faces
There won’t be nothin’ but big ol’ hearts
Dancin’ in our eyes

There won’t be nothin’ but big ol’ hearts
Dancin’ in our eyes

In spite of ourselves

…

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball fan, old movie and tv show fan... and a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

35 thoughts on “John Prine – In Spite of Ourselves”

  2. This is a sweet song. I’ve heard of that album of duets, and sampled some on Youtube, but I’ve never listened to all of it. I don’t think I ever heard of that movie with Prine, Thornton and Griffith. I ‘discovered’ Iris from the final episode of Northern Exposure. In a series known for great music, her song closed the last show. Then I learned that a drive through Kansas inspired her to write the song. I bought her CD and discovered a few more favorites. So there’s plenty for me to love about any song she is on.

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  4. Fun little ‘slice of life’ song! They work well together. I really should try to check out more of his music, I tend to like much of the small sample I’ve ever heard. You can tell how little he sold or got played on air though by that story…no tour bus for him, just his own car with a wonky electrical system!

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    1. She was amazing on this Dave…to me. Fit perfectly with him.
      It’s such a fun song and more than that….a fun idea for a song. I’m going to see that movie now.
      The song by Prine I know the most is Dear Abbey…I love that song.

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    1. Yes they were…and I regret not digging into more of what Iris has done…today I’ve looked up some of the stuff she has done…I love her voice…it’s unusual.

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  8. Weve talked John before and you related that story to me. H is an absolute fave. Iris hooked up with 3 of the best, Merle, John and Greg Brown. She is good and compliments those guys. She might even make CB sound decent.

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      1. First cut I heard her do was ‘Our Town’ (A Max tune for sure). She is on that Merle tribute album I mentioned that Phil Alvin helped put together. Great version of Merle’s ‘Big City’

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I just listened to the Our Town version that has Emmylou Harris as well…you can’t beat those two together…wow.
        I’m listening to Big City now.

        Liked by 1 person

  10. I still know way too little about John Prine, so your post is a good reminder I should listen to more of his music. What I’ve heard thus far makes it clear to me his songs were a true treasure trove. It’s not a coincidence so many other artists have covered his tunes. I’m also not surprised Prine didn’t face any challenges to find guests for his duets album.

    But what I find even more incredible is your friend’s story. I think this encounter says a lot what kind of person John Prine was. Sadly, the world lost another great artist way too early. Billy Joel got it right when he once sang ‘Only the Good Die Young’.

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      1. Your sentiment is absolutely fair, Max. Roy Orbinson was only 52 years when he passed, 21 years younger than Prine.

        I knew Orbison wasn’t old, but jeez, I didn’t realize he wasn’t even in his sixties yet!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I’ll have to check that out. I found something with her singing with Emmylou Harris…Our Town. Over all I liked what I’ve heard from her.

        Liked by 1 person

  14. Pingback: John Prine – In Spite of Ourselves – MobsterTiger

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