[audience applauding and cheering]
- Tommy Prine: How's it going, Mile o'?
Doing all right?
It's my first time in Appleton.
That is how you pronounce it, right?
- Audience: Yeah! - All right, cool, let's go.
But thank you all so much for coming out today.
It's kinda hard to describe the feeling
when I come to a city for the first time
and I walk out into a room of just a whole bunch
of beautiful people that decided to come and hear my songs,
so I really appreciate you guys
for spending the time with me today.
Thank you.
[audience applauding and cheering]
["Purple Paint" by Tommy Prine]
[gentle acoustic guitar music]
? Well, I never doubted the colors she chose ?
? A gallon of red, grab a couple of those ?
? And maybe some blue ?
? Then we'll call it a night ?
? Whatever is clever or better than white ?
? And she colors my life ?
? When I can't decide ?
? Or I'm running in circles ?
? And I used to just hide ?
? In the absence of light ?
? 'Til she gave me purple paint ?
? There's no way around it ?
? It's all gotta go ?
? Start staining the ceiling ?
? Don't inhale the smoke ?
? Let's have some fun with it ?
? Let's have a drink ?
? If you can't reach the corner ?
? Just stand on the sink ?
? And she colors my life ?
? When I can't decide ?
? Or I'm running in circles ?
? And I used to just hide ?
? In the absence of light ?
? 'Til she gave me purple paint ?
[gentle acoustic guitar music]
? Well, I never doubted the colors she chose ?
? Colors so close that they might touch my nose ?
? And never's a long time to not see the light ?
? And never say never ?
? I love you, good night ?
? She colors my life ?
? When I can't decide ?
? Or I'm running in circles ?
? And I used to just hide ?
? In the absence of light ?
? 'Til she gave me purple ?
? She colors my life ?
? When I can't decide ?
? Or I'm running in circles ?
? And I couldn't live right ?
? When my canvas was white ?
? And she gave me purple paint ?
[gentle acoustic guitar music]
[audience applauding and cheering]
Thank you.
Thank y'all.
So, sometime last summer, my wife comes up to me.
She's like, "Hey, babe, I gotta run
"and do some errands for the evening.
Could you do me a favor while I'm out?"
And I was like, "Anything, babe.
Just say the word, I got it."
Mistake one.
[audience laughing]
She goes, "While I'm out running errands and you're at home,
could you paint the front porch?"
[audience laughing]
I was like, "No, dude, I don't wanna do that.
"This sounds crazy.
I won't even finish in time."
And she's like, "All right, sounds good.
"I think we've reached an agreement.
I'm gonna go run errands and you'll paint the porch."
I was like, "You got it, for sure.
Easy-peasy, consider it done."
So she leaves.
I don't paint the porch.
But what I did do was I wrote a song
explaining why I didn't wanna paint the porch.
[audience laughing]
I tell you what, she wasn't as impressed as you guys just were
when she came back home.
But she laughed, like, halfway through the song
when I showed it to her, and I was like,
"I'm off the hook, let's go."
This song is called "Fire and Fuel."
[gentle acoustic guitar music]
? Would rather go insane than paint my porch ?
? I'd rather get some fire and fuel ?
? And fashion me a torch ?
? Yes, I'd rather go insane than paint my porch ?
? And I'd rather hit my head than clean my car ?
? I'd jump right off a roof ?
? To prove that I'd take it that far ?
? Yes, I'd rather hit my head than clean my car ?
? 'Cause I'm not lazy ?
? I'm just bored ?
? And every single day ?
? Has the same things in store ?
? All the magic ?
? Has gone away ?
? But maybe that's just how I feel today ?
? Would rather sleep outside than build a fence ?
? I'd be a leader for the bugs ?
? And for the birds, a president ?
? Yes, I'd rather sleep outside than build a fence ?
? And I'd rather shave my hair than mow the lawn ?
? I'd use a pair of tweezers ?
? Make it last all night long ?
? Yes, I'd rather shave my hair than mow the lawn ?
? 'Cause I'm not lazy ?
? I'm just bored ?
? And every single day ?
? Has the same things in store ?
? All the magic ?
? Has gone away ?
? Or maybe that's just how I feel today ?
[gentle acoustic guitar music]
? But I'd rather move a mountain than lose you ?
? I'd send a spy to heaven ?
? Make sure there is room for two ?
? Yes, I'd rather move a mountain than lose you ?
? 'Cause I'm not lazy ?
? I'm just bored ?
? And every single day ?
? Has the same things in store ?
? And all the magic ?
? Has gone away ?
? And maybe that's just ?
? How I ?
? Feel today ?
[audience applauding]
I feel like I bring authenticity and honesty.
The crux of my job is to be as vulnerable
and as honest as I can be,
even if I'm writing a song about not doing my chores at home
and my wife being upset at me.
You know what I mean?
Like, it's, honesty is the best policy,
not just, like, in interpersonal relationships,
but also in music, 'cause I think people can tell.
And I think people appreciate that.
["This Far South" by Tommy Prine]
[bright acoustic guitar music]
? You remind me ?
? Of every single dogwood tree ?
? When I tried to reach out ?
? I never see you this far south no more ?
? And I can't seem to be ?
? Any less than all of me ?
? But that won't work out ?
? If words can't fall out my mouth no more ?
? And angel ?
? Walk me through your garden ?
? Won't you, please, again? ?
? The nerves inside my heart ?
? In Germantown tonight ?
? I'm learning ?
? That it's not good to fly ?
? And I've chosen the habit that I'm dropping ?
? Coming down's exhausting ?
? I think I need some help ?
? Turn me over ?
? If sand could rise when we grow old ?
? Then I would ?
? Try to hold your hand a little slower ?
? And angel ?
? Walk me through your garden and your trees ?
? But please don't ?
? Reach out ?
? 'Cause I won't be this far south again ?
? The nerves inside my heart ?
? In Germantown tonight ?
? I'm learning ?
? That it's not good to fly ?
? And I've chosen ?
? The habit that I'm dropping ?
? Coming down's exhausting ?
? I think that I deserve some rest ?
[audience applauding]
Thank you.
["By the Way" by Tommy Prine]
[gentle acoustic guitar music]
? And I don't wanna move the shoes ?
? I keep in the back of my car ?
? The ones you got me at 17 ?
? When Mom thought I moved way too far ?
? By the way, I wish I stayed ?
? And unpacked all of my bags ?
? All the times I'll always miss ?
? Are the times we never had ?
? And can I breathe all of me ?
? Into a bottle ?
? And throw it in the sea? ?
? By the way, people say ?
? I look just like you ?
? And I don't wanna think about ?
? The excuses that I made ?
? And all those nights I should have just ?
? Sat down and played spades ?
? But don't keep all that in your heart ?
? Son, it'll just drag you down ?
? And even if you fight it or don't like it ?
? The world will keep spinning 'round ?
? And can I breathe all of me ?
? Into a bottle ?
? And throw it in the sea? ?
? By the way, people say ?
? I look just like you ?
? And I don't wanna talk about ?
? The day that you slipped away ?
? And it's still hard to hear your voice ?
? In the songs we used to sing ?
? Well, I miss you and I love you ?
? Some things won't ever change ?
? And although you're gone, the world moves along ?
? There's a part of you that will remain ?
? And can I breathe all of me ?
? Into a bottle ?
? And throw it in the sea? ?
? By the way, people say ?
? I look just like you ?
? By the way ?
? People say ?
? I look just like you ?
[audience applauding and cheering]
It's been incredible.
I didn't really know what I was, like, walking into,
but they've been turning away people
because it's been too packed at all of my sets so far.
So it's been, like, kind of, like, unreal in a way.
I'm like, "Whoa, like..."
So it feels really amazing
when I come to a city for the first time.
Just people show out so hard for me.
It just, I really feel the love here in Appleton,
so that that makes me really happy
and makes me want to come back.
[laughing]
["Mirror and a Kitchen Sink" by Tommy Prine]
[upbeat acoustic guitar music]
? Juliet and Romeo ?
? Didn't meet down at the rodeo ?
? I think there's something special ?
? About what you don't know ?
? Keep the world on their feet ?
? It seems to me that you know it all ?
? You learned it over beers with the Pope last fall ?
? And built yourself a castle with a big glass wall ?
? Everybody knows you're proud ?
? And I think that I'll win ?
? Every single argument ?
? But now it's you and me ?
? A mirror and a kitchen sink ?
? So what's the difference between you and me? ?
? I tell you right now, it's a couple teeth ?
? And then I decide whether to not or be ?
? Crueler than I already am ?
? So here we are again, my friend ?
? You beat around the bush and you build a fence ?
? Nobody knows what you really meant ?
? Not so sure that you do ?
? And it's true ?
? And I think that I'll win ?
? Every single argument ?
? But now it's you and me ?
? A mirror and a kitchen sink ?
[upbeat acoustic guitar music]
? So Romeo and Juliet ?
? Didn't kiss first then become friends ?
? There's always gotta be a middle and end ?
? No one's gotta know how it starts ?
? You say words that make you brave ?
? And then you realize that you share a brain ?
? Oh, here it goes right down the drain ?
? Faster than your eyes can see ?
? And it's me ?
? And I think that I'll win ?
? Every single argument ?
? But now it's you and me ?
? A mirror and a kitchen sink ?
[audience applauding]
Thank you.
There are some amazing songwriters here.
I suggest you go check as many of them out as you can
'cause songwriters are the lifeblood of music.
I'm telling you.
[audience applauding]
["Ships in the Harbor" by Tommy Prine]
[gentle acoustic guitar music]
? It must be the morning again ?
? The sun through the window ?
? Felt good on my skin ?
? So it must be leaving soon ?
? As it should ?
? And I saw the bluebird again ?
? She pointed it out in the yard on our fence ?
? So it must be leaving soon ?
? As it should ?
? When I'm standing by the water ?
? It's harder and harder ?
? It's why I get sad when there's ships in the harbor ?
? 'Cause they must be leaving soon ?
? As they should ?
? And I got to see an old friend ?
? We laughed and stayed up 'til it came to an end ?
? 'Cause we must be leaving soon ?
? As we do ?
? I tend to get lost in the stars ?
? I waste every night wondering where we all are ?
? And how we must be leaving soon ?
? As we should ?
? When I'm standing by the water ?
? It's harder and harder ?
? It's why I get sad when there's ships in the harbor ?
? 'Cause they must be leaving soon ?
? As they should ?
[gentle acoustic guitar music]
? It takes time to know when you're wrong ?
? And it takes even longer to put it all in a song ?
? And I wish it was easy, too ?
? Like he did ?
? When I'm by peaceful waters ?
? It gets harder and harder ?
? I'd do anything ?
? Just to talk to my father ?
? But I guess he was leaving soon ?
? As we do ?
? And, yeah, I guess he was passing through ?
? And I am, too ?
My name's Tommy Prine, thank y'all so much.
I'll see you somewhere down the road.
I love you, thank you.
[audience applauding and cheering]