One time, I went to school, and they asked us all to find out where our roots were. It's goin' around the class, and the kids were going, 'I'm Swedish-German' or 'I'm English-Irish.' They got to me and I said, 'Pure Kentuckian.'
John PrineRead
If heartaches was commercials, we'd all be on TV.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote humorously suggests that heartache is a common experience, so much so that everyone would be featured on television if it were shown as commercials.
John Prine's quote captures the universality of heartache, indicating that emotional pain is a shared human experience. By comparing heartaches to commercials, he highlights how prevalent these feelings are in society, humorously implying that if we showcased our heartaches publicly, we'd all have our stories broadcasted, thus emphasizing the idea that suffering is common and relatable.
Themes
HeartacheCommercialsPainUniversalRelatable
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a speech about the shared human experience of heartache.
More from John Prine
All quotes βI just tried to come up with some honest songs. What I was writing about was real plain stuff that I wasn't sure was going to be interesting to other people. But I guess it was...I've never had any discipline whatsoever. I just wait on a song like I was waiting for lightning to strike. And eventually-usually sometime around 3 in the morning-I'll have a good idea. By the time the sun comes up, hopefully, I'll have a decent song.
John PrineRead
I feel basically good about my career because it's remained constant. What I do has never been especially in vogue or gotten high on the charts. At the same time, I haven't had to stop performing any of my music because it aged in style.
John PrineRead
You know that first love that leaves you? You never forget that, especially if you're a songwriter. I must have gotten nine songs out of that girl.
John PrineRead
You get to thinking that because you've written 50 or 100 songs, you think maybe you know how to do it. But when they're not coming along, you're just as in the dark as you ever were. When they're coming along, there's nothing to it. Sometimes it's so easy, it's like you're a court stenographer.
John PrineRead
The only reason I figured out I didn't like my old records to listen was I could hear how nervous I was and how uncomfortable I was. And who would want to sit around and listen to yourself being uncomfortable?
John PrineRead
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