This song, in particular, tugs at me every time I've heard it, even 45 years or so later.
John Prine has been on my mind (and flowing through my tears) for the last few days. Personally, I've not lost a loved one to the virus except John Prine. And I never met him.
I was very young when I first heard this song, but he was able to enlighten a young, seemingly invincible, "always young" fellow that empathy and understanding was within my narrow reach.
P.S. If you don't know the song, here are the lyrics:
We had an apartment in the city,
Me and Loretta liked living there.
Well, it'd been years since the kids had grown,
A life of their own left us alone.
John and Linda live in Omaha,
And Joe is somewhere on the road.
We lost Davy in the Korean war,
And I still don't know what for,
Don't matter anymore.
You know that old trees just grow stronger,
And old rivers grow wilder every day.
Old people just grow lonesome
Waiting for someone to say, "Hello in there, hello."
Me and Loretta, we don't talk much more,
She sits and stares through the back door screen.
And all the news just repeat itself
Like some forgotten dream that we've both seen.
Someday I'll go and call up Rudy,
We worked together at the factory.
But what could I say if he asks "What's new?"
"Nothing, what's with you? Nothing much to do."
You know that old trees just grow stronger,
And old rivers grow wilder every day.
Old people just grow lonesome
Waiting for someone to say, "Hello in there, hello."
So if you're walking down the street sometime
And spot some hollow ancient eyes,
Please don't just pass 'em by and stare
As if you didn't care, say, "Hello in there, hello."
![[Image: BGlGOHH.png]](https://i.imgur.com/BGlGOHH.png)