Paradise - John Prine: Song Lyrics, Music Videos & Concerts

Paradise

87,067

Rock

Paradise was released on October 1, 1971 by Rhino Atlantic as a part of the album John Prine

Popular Segments

Song Details

Most Popular

Past 7 Days

00:00 - 00:05

Paradise was discovered most frequently in the first few seconds of the song during the past week

00:00

00:05

00:15

00:25

00:35

00:40

00:50

00:55

01:00

01:10

01:15

01:20

01:40

02:00

02:15

02:35

02:45

02:50

03:00

00:00

03:14

OVERVIEW

LYRICS

Music Video

Music Video

Credits

PERFORMING ARTISTS

John Prine

Vocals

Steve Goodman

Acoustic Guitar

Neil Rosengarden

Neil Rosengarden

Bass Guitar

Dave Prine

Fiddle

COMPOSITION & LYRICS

John Prine

Songwriter

PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING

Arif Mardin

Producer

Dale "Smitty" Smith

Dale "Smitty" Smith

Assistant Engineer

Ryan Smith

Mastering Engineer

Stan Kesler

Recording Engineer

Lyrics

[Verse 1]

When I was a child

My family would travel

Down to Western Kentucky

Where my parents were born

And there's a backwards old town

That's often remembered

So many times that my memories are worn

[Verse 2]

And, daddy, won't you take me back to Muhlenberg County

Down by the Green River where Paradise lay

Well, I'm sorry, my son, but you're too late in asking

Mister Peabody's coal train has hauled it away

[Verse 3]

Well, sometimes we'd travel

Right down the Green River

To the abandoned old prison

Down by Airdrie Hill

Where the air smelled like snakes

And we'd shoot with our pistols

But empty pop bottles was all we would kill

[Verse 4]

And, daddy, won't you take me back to Muhlenberg County

Down by the Green River where Paradise lay

Well, I'm sorry, my son, but you're too late in asking

Mister Peabody's coal train has hauled it away

[Verse 5]

Then the coal company came

With the world's largest shovel

And they tortured the timber

And stripped all the land

Well, they dug for their coal

'Til the land was forsaken

Then they wrote it all down as the progress of man

[Verse 6]

And, daddy, won't you take me back to Muhlenberg County

Down by the Green River where Paradise lay

Well, I'm sorry, my son, but you're too late in asking

Mister Peabody's coal train has hauled it away

[Verse 7]

When I die let my ashes

Float down the Green River

Let my soul roll on up

To the Rochester dam

I'll be halfway to Heaven

With Paradise waitin'

Just five miles away from wherever I am

[Verse 8]

And, daddy, won't you take me back to Muhlenberg County

Down by the Green River where Paradise lay

Well, I'm sorry, my son, but you're too late in asking

Mister Peabody's coal train has hauled it away

Written by: John E. Prine

Shazam Footer

Select language:

Company

Legal

Chrome Web Store

Galaxy Store

Follow Us

© Copyright 2026 Apple Inc. and its affiliates | Supplier Responsibility

Loading...