John Prine - Sam Stone video free download


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Duration: 05:07
Uploaded: 2009/09/08

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"Sam Stone"

Song by John Prine

from the album John Prine

Released 1971

Recorded American Recording Studios, Memphis, Tennessee

Genre: Folk music

"Sam Stone" is a song written by John Prine about a drug-addicted veteran with a Purple Heart and his death by overdose.

The most familiar refrain in the song is "There's a hole in daddy's arm, where all the money goes"

The song can be interpreted as a reference to the phenomenon of morphine addiction among war veterans as a result of its use to treat crippling and painful injuries, and its often lifetime repercussions.

This version is from the album "John Prine: Live"

LYRICS:

Sam Stone came home,

To his wife and family

After serving in the conflict overseas.

And the time that he served, had shattered all his nerves,

And left a little shrapnel in his knee.

But the morphine eased the pain,

And the grass grew round his brain,

And gave him all the confidence he lacked,

With a Purple Heart and a monkey on his back.

Chorus:

There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes,

Jesus Christ died for nothin' I suppose.

Little pitchers have big ears, don't stop to count the years,

Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios.

Sam Stone's welcome home didn't last too long.

He went to work when he'd spent his last dime

And Sammy took to stealing when he got that empty feeling

For a hundred dollar habit without overtime.

And the gold rolled through his veins,

Like a thousand railroad trains,

And eased his mind in the hours that he chose,

While the kids ran around wearin' other peoples' clothes...

Repeat Chorus

Sam Stone was alone when he popped his last balloon

Climbing walls while sitting in a chair

Well, he played his last request while the room smelled just like death

With an overdose hovering in the air

But life had lost its fun

And there was nothing to be done

But trade his house that he bought on the G. I. Bill

For a flag draped casket on a local heroes' hill.

Repeat Chorus

(c) 1971 John Prine

Note: the photo depicts an "Army Wife" self-medicating with alcohol at a bar, my contemporary spin on the song.

Comments

9 years ago

Markguthrie Guthrie

Came back the same way.

9 years ago

Balletcatblue Sarah

There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes......

9 years ago

Payton Boyd

Shots fired

10 years ago

Joe Gibbs

I was a sam stone.Take a lesson from this song young soldiers,if you dont take control of this life,this life will take control of you.

10 years ago

Joe Gibbs

I was a sam stone.Take a lesson from this song young soldiers,if you dont take control of this life,this life will take control of you.

10 years ago

DreamSeeker1955

I feel you John

10 years ago

Rodney Wilkerson

I served three tours in Vietnam  I was called Baby Killer~~~ a punk was going to spit on me at the baggage claim at LAX I picked the son of bitch up and threw him on the turntable thing that had the baggage on it~~~I yelled at everyone around asking them if they wanted any shit~~no one said a word the security guards didn't even approach me

10 years ago

ingela anne

seriously? do you match the song, cause i would try to NOT pop your last balloon =)

10 years ago

ingela anne

my retirement package looks like what u just wrote, thou i dont know if ill be able to abstain

10 years ago

michaellr50

It puts a tear in my eye, too. Wish we'd had then song when I was there in '70-'71. I believe some people might have thought about what they were getting into.

10 years ago

Lisa Poppet

John Prine is brilliant. Sublime. Cuts like a fine blade.

10 years ago

Rachelle Berven

Great Song...I enjoy his music.. Thank you.

10 years ago

Joseph Gibbsjr

I relate,Im a 61 year old addict,junkie.A survivor.I dont know why.many of my friends are dead.I,ve xperimented with every drug I could snort,shoot,smoke,or absorb .But time,and circumstance happen to us all.Although im still an addict I choose not to use.God help u that still do.signed_xperience.

10 years ago

renee macphee

I love this tune! My dad wasnt a junkie, but he was a drunk.. Everyone has there skeletons! He passed away three yrs ago, and when i hear this song i dont think of negative shit. I think of chilling with my dad.

10 years ago

bill bazinet

This song had nothing to do with your freakin politics, many of us that were around in the 60's and early 70's had this same problem and believe it or not some of us junkies are still alive. The saying used to go their are no old junkies and we just laughed anyway, not knowing how many lives we were going to destroy, houses lost, and pain that we made on our own. I had this album in1972 house burned down lost childhood souvenirs. If John wants to sing about politics he'll damn sure let you know!

10 years ago

bill bazinet

It says everthing brother!

10 years ago

iowa887

what does that mean? are you making comments on puppet shows.john prine music is bigger then your conservative/liberal bs

10 years ago

Keith Ray

Jon prine is a conservative. How bout that for reaching in and squeezing!

12 years ago

sam aka sam stone

my name is sam stone

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