Paradise ( John Prine song ) - wikipedia Paradise ( John Prine song ) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( October 2016 ) `` Paradise '' Song by John Prine from the album John Prine Released 1971 Recorded A&R Studios, New York Genre Folk music Length 3 : 10 Label Atlantic Songwriter ( s ) John Prine John Prine track listing `` Sam Stone '' ( 4 ) `` Paradise '' ( 5 ) `` Pretty Good '' ( 6 ) `` Paradise '' is a song written by John Prine for his father, and recorded for his 1971 debut album, John Prine. Prine also re-recorded the song for his 1986 album, German Afternoons. The song is about the devastating impact of strip mining for coal, whereby the top layers of soil are blasted off with dynamite to reach the coal seam below. The song is also about what happened to the area around the Green River in Kentucky because of the strip mining. The song references the Peabody Coal Company, and a town called Paradise in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky where Tennessee Valley Authority now operates a coal - fired power plant. The area has suffered serious economic downturn because of the decline of coal mining. Notable cover versions Jackie DeShannon recorded her version of `` Paradise '' for her 1972 album, Jackie, on Atlantic Records. John Denver released a cover of `` Paradise '' on his 1972 album, Rocky Mountain High. Tom T. Hall recorded his version of `` Paradise '' for his album, The Magnificent Music Machine. Jim and Jesse recorded and performed the song in the early 1970s. The Everly Brothers recorded a version for their 1973 album Pass the Chicken & Listen. The Country Gentlemen recorded a version for their 1973 album The Country Gentlemen. The Seldom Scene recorded versions for their 1973 album Act II and for their 2014 album Long Time... Seldom Scene. Lynn Anderson recorded her version of `` Paradise '' for her 1976 album, All the King 's Horses. The song was also released as a single and peaked at No. 26 on the US Country chart. Roy Acuff recorded `` Paradise '' in 1980. A cover recorded by Johnny Cash was used in the soundtrack of the 1981 TV movie The Pride of Jesse Hallam, which starred Cash in the title role. This version was later released on the compilation album Personal File. `` Paradise '' was the end credit song for the film Fire Down Below. Tim Flannery, former baseball player, recorded a version of `` Paradise '' on his 1999 album Pieces of the Past. Jimmy Buffett has played `` Paradise '' twice in concert, in 2002 at Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati and again in 2008 at Riverbend. The 2008 Riverbend recording appears on Buffett 's 2010 CD Encores. Pat Green & Cory Morrow covered `` Paradise '' on their album Songs We Wish We 'd Written, which was released in 2001. Dwight Yoakam recorded the song on his 2004 compilation album, Dwight 's Used Records. This rendition is divided into two tracks. The first track has a slower tempo, while the second track has a faster tempo. Hayseed Dixie often include the song in their live setlist and vocalist John Wheeler ( aka Barley Scotch ) has referred to it on several occasions as his favorite song ever recorded. John Fogerty recorded a version as the lead off track for his 2009 album The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again. John Kadlecik performed this live in an acoustic performance 2011 - 06 - 22 at the New Deal Cafe. Jamestown Revival recorded the song as the second song on their 2013 EP California References Jump up ^ `` Soundtracks for The Pride of Jesse Hallam ( 1981 ) ( TV ) ''. IMDb.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 05. External links Lyrics Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics John Prine Studio albums John Prine ( 1971 ) Diamonds in the Rough ( 1972 ) Sweet Revenge ( 1973 ) Common Sense ( 1975 ) Bruised Orange ( 1978 ) Pink Cadillac ( 1979 ) Storm Windows ( 1980 ) Aimless Love ( 1984 ) German Afternoons ( 1986 ) The Missing Years ( 1991 ) A John Prine Christmas ( 1994 ) Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings ( 1995 ) In Spite of Ourselves ( 1999 ) Souvenirs ( 2000 ) Fair & Square ( 2005 ) Standard Songs for Average People ( with Mac Wiseman ) ( 2007 ) For Better, or Worse ( 2016 ) Live albums John Prine Live ( 1988 ) Live on Tour ( 1997 ) In Person & On Stage ( 2010 ) Compilation albums Prime Prine : The Best of John Prine ( 1976 ) Great Days : The John Prine Anthology ( 1993 ) Songs `` Sam Stone '' `` Paradise '' `` Your Flag Decal Wo n't Get You Into Heaven Anymore '' `` Angel from Montgomery '' `` The Great Compromise '' `` Speed of the Sound of Loneliness '' Related Oh Boy Records John Prine - Live from Sessions at West 54th Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows : Songs of John Prine Lynn Anderson Studio albums Ride, Ride, Ride Songs That Made Country Girls Famous Rose Garden You 're My Man How Can I Unlove You Cry Listen to a Country Song Keep Me in Mind Top of the World Smile for Me What a Man My Man Is I 've Never Loved Anyone More All the King 's Horses Wrap Your Love All Around Your Man I Love What Love Is Doing to Me / He Ai n't You From the Inside Outlaw Is Just a State of Mind Even Cowgirls Get the Blues Back What She Does Best Cowboy 's Sweetheart The Bluegrass Sessions Holiday albums The Christmas Album Home for the Holidays Live albums Live at Billy Bob 's Texas Compilations The World of Lynn Anderson Greatest Hits 16 Biggest Hits Singles `` If I Kiss You '' `` Promises, Promises '' `` Big Girls Do n't Cry '' `` I 've Been Everywhere '' `` Rocky Top '' `` Rose Garden '' `` It Was n't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels '' `` You 're My Man '' `` How Can I Unlove You '' `` Cry '' `` Listen to a Country Song '' `` Fool Me '' `` Keep Me in Mind '' `` Top of the World '' `` Talkin ' to the Wall '' `` What a Man My Man Is '' `` Paradise '' `` Wrap Your Love All Around Your Man '' `` I Love How You Love Me '' `` Sea of Heartbreak '' `` You 're Welcome to Tonight '' `` Under the Boardwalk '' Related articles Discography Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paradise_(John_Prine_song)&oldid=743665773 '' Categories : Lynn Anderson songs John Denver songs 1971 singles John Prine songs American folk songs Songs written by John Prine Atlantic Records singles Songs about Kentucky Muhlenberg County, Kentucky Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from October 2016 All articles needing additional references Articles with hAudio microformats Talk About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 10 October 2016, at 16 : 53. 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Question: who wrote daddy won't you take me back to muhlenberg county
Answer: John Prine