The Missing Years album cover

John Prine – Picture Show Lyrics

Country

A young man from a small town
With a very large imagination
Lay alone in his room with his radio on
Looking for another station

When the static from the mouthpiece
Gave way to the sound below
James Dean went out to Hollywood
Put his picture in a picture show
James Dean went out to Hollywood
Put his picture in a picture show

And it's, "Oh daddy, get off of your knees
Mamma, why'd you have to go?
Your darling Jim is out on a limb
Put my picture in a picture show (whoa-ho)
Put my picture in a picture show"

Hamburgers, Cheeseburgers
Wilbur and Orville Wright
John Garfield in the afternoon
Montgomery Clift at night

And when the static hit the mouthpiece
Gave a way to the sound below
James Dean went out to Hollywood
Put his picture in a picture show

It's, "Oh daddy, get off of your knees
Mamma, why'd you have to go?
Your darling Jim is out on a limb
Put my picture in a picture show (whoa-ho)
Put my picture in a picture show"

A Mocca man in a wigwam sitting on a reservation
With a big black hole in the belly of his soul
Waiting on an explanation

While the white man sits on his fat can
Takes pictures of the Navajo
Every time he clicks his Kodak pics
He steals a little bit of soul
Every time he clicks his Kodak pics
He steals a little bit of soul

And it's,"Oh daddy, get off of your knees
Mamma, why'd you have to go?
Your darling Jim is out on a limb
Put my picture in a picture show (whoa-ho)
Put my picture in a picture show (a-ha)
Put my picture in a picture show" (sure thing)

A young man from a small town
With a very large imagination

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