Picture Show Songtext
von John Prine

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 away to the sound below
James Dean went out to Hollywood
N′ put his picture in a picture show
James Dean went out to Hollywood
N' 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)
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 away to the sound below
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)
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
And 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
A′put my picture in a picture show (whoa-ho)
My picture in a picture show (a-ha)
My picture in a picture show (let's go)

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