John Prine (born October 10, 1946 in Maywood, Illinois-died April 7, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee) was an American country/folk singer-songwriter who has achieved widespread critical (and some commercial) success since the early 1970s.
The son of William Prine and Verna Hamm, his grandfather had played guitar with Merle Travis and he started playing guitar himself at 14 years old. He was a postman for 5 years and spent a couple of years in the army before starting his musical career in the Chicago area.
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---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billy the Bum - John Prine ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Artist: John Prine Album: Diamonds in the Rough Year: 1972
Intro: BbF FCF
FC Billy the bum lived by the thumb and sang of the hobo's delight C He'd prove he could run twice as fast as the sun F By losing his shadow at night F Now he loved every girl in this curly headed world Bb But no one will know it seems BbF For two twisted legs and a childhood disease CF Left Billy just a bum in his dreams
Chorus: BbFCF And he was just a gentle boy, A real florescent light BbFC Cried pennies on Sunday morning, Laughs nickels on Saturday night FBb And your bullets they can't harm him Nor your knives tear him apart FCF Humiliation killed him God bless his little heart
F Now he lived all alone In a run down home FC Near the side of the old railroad track C Where the trains used to run Carrying freight by the ton F And blow the whistle as Billy'd wave back F But the children around Billy's home town FBb Seemed to have nothin' better to do BbF Then run around his house With their tongues from their mouth CF And make fun of that cripped old fool
(Repeat chorus)
F Now some folks they wait And some folks they pray C For Jesus to rise up again, But none of these folks F In their holy cloaks Ever took Billy on as a friend F For pity's a crime And it ain't worth a dime Bb To a person who's really in need BbF Just treat em the same As you would your own name CF Next time that your heart starts to bleed