By all accounts, John Prine was one of the pre-eminent American songwriters. He died in April 2020. Two and a half years later, a glorious series of events was scheduled in Nashville. Culled from those events and lovingly assembled in a sterling film called You Got Gold, are performances from a generous handful of Prine’s most fervent admirers: Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Tyler Childers, Lucinda Williams, Dwight Yoakam, Jason Isbell and Bob Weir.
The tribute / documentary was shot at the Ryman in Nashville, Prine’s favorite venue, over the course of a week.
Brandi Carlile kicks off the proceedings, with impossibly tender harmonies from Lucius. The film cleverly intercuts brief talking heads, putting into context Prince’s pervasive influence. Separate performances of “That’s The Way the World Goes Round” with Steve Earle and Lyle Lovett is cleverly cut back-and-forth between the two singers. Those two songwriters have crafted and the most poignant songs of the last several decades, and hearing their humility in the context of Prine’s songwriting is heartwarming.
Similar split song versions of “Sam Stone” by Swamp Dogg and Nathaniel Rateliff are heart wrenching.
Bob Weir and Rambling Jack Elliott swagger through a loose version of “Great Rain.” It is more Grateful Dead than Elliott’s roots in folkie Greenwich Village.
The cream of Americana showed up to contribute to You Got Gold; one longs for a director’s cut to see more Jason Isabell, Nathaniel Rateliff, Dwight Yoakam, Bonnie Raitt, Gillian Welch and Lucinda Williams. The latter’s version of “What Could Go Wrong” was highlighted by the ever-tasteful guitar stylings of Stuart Mathis.
Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch
Among a cornucopia of touching performances, Jason Isbell’s version of “Souvenirs” was perhaps the perfect match of the entire production. Like all the performers gathered in tribute to Prine, Isbell is an amazing songwriter. He has written extensively on the mystery and magic of songwriting.
Another poignant match was Kentucky-born Yoakam kicking off “Paradise,” the story of a town decimated by a mining company. Apparently when Prine originally sang the song for his Dad, the elder could only listen to it from the next room as the lyrics cut too deep.
The song closes the film, with all the players eventually overflowing the Ryman stage.
Tommy Prine and Dwight Yoakam
My wife and I did our own little tribute, we were recently invited to a birthday party of a musician who requested folks come dressed as famous musicians. I went as Prine and my wife went as Raitt. I can’t play a lick of music but with some liquid courage I almost agreed to the obvious karaoke duet: “Angel From Montgomery.” Somewhere there’s a photo of my wife with the red wig and silver streak, and me with extra hair and a mailman uniform. A few partygoers knew Prine used to walk his postal route, the perfect setting to work on his early lyrics.
Brandi Carlile and Bonnie Raitt
When Raitt introduces the song in the film, it is intercut with many archival clips of Prine’s performances. Raitt and Carlile perform the duet, and it was a showstopper. The camera followed the duo backstage and captured moments too few of us ever see.
You Got Gold is a fitting tribute to Prine. The very best of the genre gathered at the shrine of music and poured out their hearts in song. Somewhere Prine was smiling, with an illegal grin or not.
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