Lake Marie - John Prine

Lots of really great songs don't tell a story, in the old-fashioned sense of having a beginning, a middle and an end.

Yet they can still stir the emotions with powerful moods and memories, as is this case with my favourite song of 2020 - 'Lake Marie' by the late, great John Prine.  

  

Lake Marie by John Prine

We were standing
Standing by peaceful waters
Standing by peaceful waters
Whoa, wah, oh wha, oh
Whoa, wah, oh wha, oh

Many years ago along the Illinois-Wisconsin border
There was this Indian tribe
They found two babies in the woods
White babies

One of them was named Elizabeth
She was the fairer of the two
While the smaller and more fragile one was named Marie
Having never seen white girls before

And living on the two lakes known as the Twin Lakes
They named the larger and more beautiful lake, Lake Elizabeth
And thus the smaller lake that was hidden from the highway
Became known forever as Lake Marie

We were standing
Standing by peaceful waters
Standing by peaceful waters
Whoa, wah, oh wha, oh
Whoa, wah, oh wha, oh

Many years later I found myself talking to this girl
Who was standing there with her back turned to Lake Marie
The wind was blowing especially through her hair
There was four Italian sausages cooking on the outdoor grill
And man, they was sizzlin'

Many years later we found ourselves in Canada
Trying to save our marriage and perhaps catch a few fish
Whatever seemed easier, that night she fell asleep in my arms
Humming the tune to, "Louie Louie"
Aah baby, we gotta go now

We were standing
Standing by peaceful waters
Standing by peaceful waters
Whoa, wah, oh wha, oh
Whoa, wah, oh wha, oh

The dogs were barking as the cars were parking
The loan sharks were sharking, the narcs were narcing
Practically everyone was there
In the parking lot by the forest preserve

The police had found two bodies in the woods
Nay, naked bodies
Their faces had been horribly disfigured by some sharp object
Saw it on the news, on the TV news, in a black and white video

You know what blood looks like in a black and white video?
Shadows, shadows, that's exactly what it looks like
All the love we shared between her and me was slammed
Slammed up against the banks of Old Lake Marie, Marie

We were standing
Standing by peaceful waters
Standing by peaceful waters
Whoa, wah, oh wha, oh
Whoa, wah, oh wha, oh

Whoa, wah, oh wha, oh
Whoa, wah, oh wha, oh

Standing by peaceful waters
Peaceful waters
Standing by peaceful waters
Peaceful waters

Standing by peaceful waters
Peaceful waters
Standing by peaceful waters
Peaceful waters
Aah baby, we gotta go now