“Day Is Done” is a simple song about a clandestine relationship. Since very little has been written about the song, it is difficult to pinpoint its exact meaning. It could be about two married adults having an illicit affair. The lyrics and tone, however, indicate a relationship between two adolescents forbidden by parents or society.
The drawings on the album cover of “Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings,” where the song is one of the tracks, tend to support the theory of a prohibited young love.
In “Day is Done,” Prine has written a charming little song with universal implications. Many of his songs deal with the intricacies of human relationships and are laced with Prine’s subtle sense of humor. Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings was John’s fourteenth album. Released in 1995, it is another example of the artist’s exploration of the human condition.
From humble beginnings, John Prine came a long way in his fifty-year career. He won Grammy Awards and was posthumously inducted into the Country and Folk Music Hall of Fame. What struck me, however, is this early recollection of his career. It is taken directly from Prine’s official website:
“Prine still remembers the first three songs he performed on any stage: Sam Stone, Hello in There, and Paradise. With humility, he recalls, “I sang those three songs and people just sat there and looked at me. I thought, ‘Wow, those are really bad.’ They wouldn’t even applaud.”
Things changed dramatically when a young journalist named Roger Ebert dropped into a Chicago folk club for a beer while John was on stage. Ebert wrote a glowing review of Prine’s performance in the Chicago Sun-Times which essentially launched John’s career.
Here’s my cover of “Day Is Done.”
Heart Banter by David Gittlin 