Paradise (John Prine song)
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| "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 |
| Producer(s) | Arif Mardin |
"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.
Background
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"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, in 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/Let my soul roll on up to the Rochester Dam". The former wish was fulfilled after his death in 2020, and in 2022 a park by the Rochester Dam was dedicated to him.[5]
Notable cover versions
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 commercially 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 a version of "Paradise" for her 1972 album Jackie.
- 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 a version of "Paradise" for her 1976 album, All the King's Horses. The single release peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard country chart.
- Roy Acuff recorded a version of "Paradise" in 1980.
- A cover recorded by Johnny Cash was used in the soundtrack of the 1981 television film The Pride of Jesse Hallam and released on the 1982 album The Adventures of Johnny Cash.[7] This version was later released on the compilation album Personal File.
- "Paradise" was featured over the end credits of the 1997 film Fire Down Below.
- Tim Flannery, former baseball player, recorded a version of "Paradise" on his 1999 album Pieces of the Past.
- Jimmy Buffett played "Paradise" twice in concert, both times at the Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati. A recording from 2008 appears on his 2010 live album Encores.
- Pat Green and Cory Morrow covered "Paradise" on their album Songs We Wish We'd Written, which was released in 2001.
- Dwight Yoakam recorded two versions of the song, which were both included on his 2004 compilation album Dwight's Used Records.
- Hayseed Dixie often include the song in their live setlist, and vocalist John Wheeler has referred to it on several occasions as his favorite song ever recorded.
- John Fogerty recorded a version for his 2009 album The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again.
- John Kadlecik performed the song live at the New Deal Cafe in Greenbelt, Maryland, in 2011.
- Jamestown Revival recorded the song for 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.
- Turnpike Troubadours released a cover of the song on their Apple Music Nashville Sessions in 2023.
Response from Peabody
The mining company released a response to the song, "Facts vs. Prine", stating “we probably helped supply the energy to make that recording that falsely names us as ‘hauling away’ Paradise, Kentucky.”.[8] In 2015, the company requested that the lyrics to the song be struck from a lawsuit from protestors who said they were arrested for holding banners near the company shareholders' meeting.[9]
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ Osmon, Erin (2021). John Prine. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 22. ISBN 978-1-5013-7924-6.
- ^ Staff, Mountain Eagle (8 July 2015). "Years later, Peabody still angry over classic song from John Prine - The Mountain Eagle". The Mountain Eagle -. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
