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"Paradise" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter John Prine for his 1971 self-titled debut album. Prine would later re-record the song for his 1986 album German Afternoons.
| "Paradise" | |
|---|---|
| Song by John Prine | |
| from the album John Prine | |
| Released | 1971 |
| Recorded | A&R Studios, New York |
| Genre | Folk music |
| Length | 3:10 |
| Label | Atlantic |
| Songwriter(s) | John Prine |
Background edit
"Paradise" is about the devastating impact of surface mining for coal, whereby the top layers of soil are blasted off with dynamite or dug away with steam shovels to reach a coal seam below, on Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, the home county of Prine's parents.[1] The song references coal mining corporation Peabody Energy and the former coal mining town of Paradise in Muhlenberg County, where the Tennessee Valley Authority operated the coal-fired Paradise Fossil Plant.[2] In late 1967, Paradise was abandoned and demolished to accommodate an expansion of the power plant.[3] The TVA has since converted the Paradise Fossil Plant, now the Paradise Combined Cycle Plant, to run on natural gas.[4]
In the final verse of "Paradise", Prine asks, "When I die, let my ashes float down the Green River". After his death in 2020, this wish was fulfilled, and in 2022 a park by the Rochester Dam on the Green River was dedicated to him.[5]
Notable cover versions edit
John Fogerty, one of many artists who have covered "Paradise," told Acoustic Guitar in 2009 that the song was "a touchstone for people like us who decry the way corporations get to run roughshod over what may be desired by the little guy, but he’s powerless to stop it or stand in the way."[6] The most successful version of the song was by released by Lynn Anderson in 1976, peaking at #26 on the Billboard country chart.
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Sturgill Simpson and John Prine Perform "Paradise" (Mr. Peabody's Coal Train), 4:03, Recording Academy |
- Jackie DeShannon recorded her version of "Paradise" for her 1972 album, Jackie, on Atlantic Records.
- John Denver released a cover of "Paradise" on his 1972 album, Rocky Mountain High.
- Tom T. Hall recorded his version of "Paradise" for his 1976 album, The Magnificent Music Machine.
- Jim and Jesse recorded and performed the song in the early 1970s.
- The Everly Brothers, natives of Muhlenberg County, recorded a version for their 1973 album Pass the Chicken & Listen.
- The Country Gentlemen recorded a version for their 1973 album The Country Gentlemen.
- The Seldom Scene recorded versions for their 1973 album Act II and for their 2014 album Long Time... Seldom Scene.
- Lynn Anderson recorded her version of "Paradise" for her 1976 album, All the King's Horses. The song was also released as a single and peaked at No. 26 on the US Country chart.
- Roy Acuff recorded "Paradise" in 1980.
- A cover recorded by Johnny Cash was used in the soundtrack of the 1981 TV movie The Pride of Jesse Hallam and was released as track #4 on the 1982 album The Adventures of Johnny Cash, which starred Cash in the title role.[7] This version was later released on the compilation album Personal File.
- "Paradise" was the end credit song for the film Fire Down Below.
- Tim Flannery, former baseball player, recorded a version of "Paradise" on his 1999 album Pieces of the Past.
- Jimmy Buffett has played "Paradise" twice in concert, in 2002 at Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati and again in 2008 at Riverbend. The 2008 Riverbend recording appears on Buffett's 2010 CD Encores.
- Pat Green & Cory Morrow covered "Paradise" on their album Songs We Wish We'd Written, which was released in 2001.
- Dwight Yoakam recorded the song on his 2004 compilation album, Dwight's Used Records. This rendition is divided into two tracks. The first track has a slower tempo, while the second track has a faster tempo.
- Hayseed Dixie often include the song in their live setlist and vocalist John Wheeler (aka Barley Scotch) has referred to it on several occasions as his favorite song ever recorded.
- John Fogerty recorded a version as the lead off track for his 2009 album The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again.
- John Kadlecik performed this live in an acoustic performance 2011-06-22 at the New Deal Cafe.
- Jamestown Revival recorded the song as the second song on their 2013 EP California
- Sturgill Simpson released a cover of the song in 2021 as a single from the 2022 Prine tribute album, Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows Vol. 2.
References edit
- ^ Barry, Dan (April 6, 2016). "John Prine Endures, With a Half-Smile and a Song". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 30, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
- ^ "Paradise Fossil Plant". tva.gov. Tennessee Valley Authority. Retrieved Feb 22, 2020.
- ^ "Paradise Is Dead, Devil is Blamed". Dubuque, Iowa: The Telegraph-Herald. Associated Press. December 29, 1967. p. 17 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Paradise Combined Cycle Plant". tva.gov. Tennessee Valley Authority. Retrieved Feb 22, 2020.
- ^ Dyer, Diane (13 September 2022). "John Prine Memorial Park at Rochester Dam dedication set for October 1, 2022". Beachtree News.
- ^ "Guitar Lesson: Exploring John Prine's Simple but Distinctive Acoustic Approach". Acoustic Guitar. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
- ^ "Soundtracks for The Pride of Jesse Hallam (1981) (TV)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2016-10-05.