Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

News

Lists

Festivals

Playlists

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!
[email protected]

Follow Us

John Prine Tells a Heartbreaking Story In His Standout Track, “Summer’s End” 

by
Arden Lambert
Arden Lambert
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.
In 2020, John Prine released The Tree of Forgiveness, his first new album of original material in thirteen years, at the same time as his final studio album. Its standout track, “Summer’s End,” helped the album become Prine’s highest-charting one on the Billboard 200 and an obvious choice for Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Albums of 2018. Of course, “Summer’s End” was as successful. It earned a Best American Roots Song nomination during the 2018 Grammy Awards and was named Best Song of 2018 by the American Songwriter magazine.

Prine Used The Song To Address the Opioid Crisis in the Country

Written by John Prine with singer-songwriter Pat McLaughlin, “Summer’s End” is a heartbreaking plea to a loved one to come home as the man in the song ponders on the passing of time. “The moon and stars hang out in bars just talking. I still love that picture of us walking. Just like that ol’ house we thought was haunted. Summer’s end came faster than we wanted,” the song goes. It is accompanied by a music video that went even deeper by portraying a heartbreaking story of a family ruined by the opioid crisis in the country, which Prine said at the time “is tearing American families apart.” Prine enlisted the help of American documentary filmmakers Elaine McMillion Sheldon and Kerrin Sheldon, who were best known for their Academy Award-nominated documentary Heroin(e). Though the husband-and-wife tandem had no experience in creating a music video, they immediately signed on to the project. The two West Virginians took the job the way they did for their documentary work, “which is using the resources we had in West Virginia – the people, the land, the houses – and tried to create a story out of that. We certainly tried to make a plan; we had a script, but in many of the scenes, the best moments were ones that were spontaneous,” McMillion Sheldon said. In the short clip, you will see Prine playing the guitar as he watched a little girl raised by his grandfather after her mother’s death. Though the cause of her mother’s death was never clearly depicted in the video, it was hinted during a quick shot of television news reporting on the opioid crisis in the United States. McMillion Sheldon got her grandfather to play the character in the music video while her mother discovered the young actress – the then five-year-old Emily Bignall – in a Sunday school class. They filmed the short clip in West Virginia, which in 2018 was reported to have the highest rate of deaths from opioid-involved overdose. The couple has also revealed that it was actually Prine’s idea to tell the story of addiction from a child’s point of view. “One of the things that John Prine had mentioned to us early on was that he had just seen the Mr. Rogers documentary and was inspired by the idea of seeing life through a kid’s eyes, so that sort of sparked the idea of seeing what a kid goes through,” McMillion Sheldon said. The music video of “Summer’s End” was dedicated to Max Barry, former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s son. Max died of an overdose in 2017, where Prine performed during his memorial service – the singer was longtime friends with the Barry family. Max was only twenty-two.  “I think for many John Prine fans, us included, the opioid crisis is in our backyard. John’s recognition of this issue means something to his fans,” McMillion Sheldon added. You can watch the heartbreaking music video below.

Country Stars Remembered the Lives Lost on September 11

Diamond Rio’s “I Believe” Is A Song For All The People Who Once Touched Our Lives

Which one is Cole Hauser in Dazed and Confused

Which Character is Cole Hauser in Dazed and Confused? 

For You

Trending

Mo Pitney’s “Borrowed Angel” Is a Love Letter to Traditional Country

Ben Haggard’s “As Haggard as They Come” Honors His Father While Defining His Own Path

8-Year-Old Annafaith Wows with Cover of Willie Nelson’s “Always on My Mind”

Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton’s “Does He Love You” Is the Collaboration We’ve Been Waiting For

Garth Brooks’ Daughter Allie Colleen Scores Her First Top-40 Country Hit

Breaking, General

Miranda Lambert Announces 2020 Wildcard Tour

General

The Song That Launched Tom T. Hall as The Storyteller That He Is: “A Week In A Country Jail” 

General

Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood Were a Desperate Couple in “Remind Me”

Maren Morris' "80s Mercedes"
General

Start the Engine With Maren Morris’ “80s Mercedes” and Ride On

Up Next

Latest Stories

8-Year-Old Annafaith Wows with Cover of Willie Nelson's "Always on My Mind"
General

8-Year-Old Annafaith Wows with Cover of Willie Nelson’s “Always on My Mind”

Willie Nelson’s “Always on My Mind” is one of those rare songs that seems to transcend time, weaving its way into the hearts of listeners for decades. Covering such an ...

Garth Brooks' Daughter Allie Colleen Scores Her First Top-40 Country Hit
General

Garth Brooks’ Daughter Allie Colleen Scores Her First Top-40 Country Hit

In 2021, Allie Colleen, the youngest daughter of country legend Garth Brooks, proved that musical talent runs in the family. With her single “Ain’t the Only Hell (My Momma Raised),” ...

Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton's "Does He Love You" Is the Collaboration We've Been Waiting For
General

Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton’s “Does He Love You” Is the Collaboration We’ve Been Waiting For

When Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton team up, it feels like the stars have aligned over Nashville. These two queens of country music, with careers that have shaped the genre ...

Ben Haggard's "As Haggard as They Come" Honors His Father While Defining His Own Path
General

Ben Haggard’s “As Haggard as They Come” Honors His Father While Defining His Own Path

In 2019, Ben Haggard delivered a performance at the Grand Ole Opry that felt like a love letter to his roots and a bold step toward his future. His song, ...

Mo Pitney's "Borrowed Angel" Is a Love Letter to Traditional Country
General

Mo Pitney’s “Borrowed Angel” Is a Love Letter to Traditional Country

In a time when country-pop dominates the charts, Mo Pitney stands out as a refreshing reminder of what makes traditional country music timeless. In an episode of Country Road TV ...

Hannah Kay Honors Loretta Lynn in Powerful "Coal Miner's Daughter" Performance
General

Hannah Kay Honors Loretta Lynn in Powerful “Coal Miner’s Daughter” Performance

In a world where country music continually evolves, some voices remind us of its timeless roots. In 2019, then-18-year-old Texas singer Hannah Kay did just that with her moving rendition ...

Zach Top’s Journey from Farm Life in WA to Breakout Country Music Star
General

Zach Top’s Journey from Farm Life in WA to Breakout Country Music Star

Zach Top didn’t just stumble into country music fame; he built his way there from the ground up, starting on a modest farm in Sunnyside, Washington. Far removed from Nashville’s ...

Morgan Wallen’s “Love Somebody” Tackles Real Romance with a Fresh Sound
General

Morgan Wallen’s “Love Somebody” Tackles Real Romance with a Fresh Sound

Morgan Wallen’s new single, “Love Somebody,” has arrived, and it’s not just another love song—it’s an honest look at the complicated, often bumpy road to finding real connection. After years ...

Morgan Wallen Sets New Records Outshining Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift
Breaking

Morgan Wallen Sets New Records Outshining Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift

Morgan Wallen’s career continues to reach impressive heights with his latest achievement. This historic milestone solidifies his place among country music’s most celebrated figures. His new single, “Love Somebody,” has ...

Jelly Roll Gets Emotional Sharing a First Look at His Expansive 500-Acre Dream Property
Breaking

Jelly Roll Gets Emotional Sharing a First Look at His Expansive 500-Acre Dream Property

Country music star Jelly Roll recently shared an emotional video on social media, revealing his purchase of a sprawling 500-acre plot of land. The video, filled with raw emotion and ...

Leave a Comment

For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Follow us

© 2024 Country Thang Daily, all rights reserved.