>> SO MUCH FUN.
I SHOULD HAVE A CIGARETTE GOING
NOW.
JOHN MELLENCAMP'S MUSIC IS
MULTIPLATINUM.
IT'S HIS 24th ALBUM.
OTHER PEOPLE'S STUFF IS ON TRACK
TO HIT NUMBER TWO ON THE
BILLBOARD ALBUM CHART.
WE GOT TOGETHER AT HIS APARTMENT
IN EYES ON THE PRIZE
HOLD ON ♪
>> THAT SONG HAS BECOME THE
CORNER STONE OF NEW ALBUM.
>> IT'S SOUL, BLUES, FOLK SONGS
THAT IF I HAD TO SAY I HAD AN
AMERICAN SONG BOOK, THOSE SONGS
WOULD BE IT.
>> MELLENCAMP LEARNED LONG AGO
THAT BEING TRUE TO YOURSELF
WOULD SPEAK FOR ITSELF.
>> I LIVE AN ARTIST'S LIFE.
EVERY DAY I HAVE TO MAKE
SOMETHING.
I NEED TO PAINT.
I WRITE.
I'M EITHER REHEARSING.
ART IS NOT BEING ON THE RADIO.
THAT'S THE MOST COMMON
DENOMINATOR.
IF YOU LOOK AT MY SONGS THAT
WERE HITS, AND I HAD A LOT OF
THEM, THEY REALLY WEREN'T THAT
GOOD AS FAR AS SONGS GO.
>> JUST AS A MEMBER OF THE
GENERAL PUBLIC, THOUGH, I NEED
TO STAND UP FOR JACK AND TO SAY.
♪
>> WE KNOW THOSE WORDS, AND THE
WORDS TO ALL OF HIS HITS BUT AT
THE HEIGHT OF HIS POPULARITY, HE
STEPPED BACK.
>> I WAS TOLD SOMETHING AND TOOK
IT TO HEART.
PETE SEGER GOES JOHN, KEEP IT
SMALL, BUT KEEP IT GOING.
IF YOU WANT TO HAVE LONGEVITY,
KEEP IT SMALL AND KEEP IT GOING.
BECAUSE IF YOU'RE ONE OF THESE
GUYS THAT NEED TO BE THE BIGGEST
BAND IN THE WORLD, YOU'RE NOT
GOING TO BE FOR VERY LONG.
>> ABOUT THAT TIME MELLENCAMP
BEGAN TO FOCUS ON PAINTING.
>> I'VE BEEN PAINTING MY WHOLE
LIFE.
I STARTED PAINTING SERIOUSLY
WHEN I KIND OF JUST DROPPED OUT
OF THE MUSIC BUSINESS FOR THREE
OR FOUR YEARS.
>> WHEN YOU'RE PAINTING, WHAT
DOES IT DO FOR YOU?
>> IT PUTS YOU IN A PLACE WHERE
YOU ARE TOTALLY FOCUSSED ON
SOMETHING.
I CAN PAINT FOR EIGHT, 10, 12
HOURS EVERY DAY.
MEG LIVES HERE IN NEW YORK, AND
SO THERE'S NO PLACE TO PAINT
WHERE SHE LIVES, SO I BOUGHT
THIS PLACE TO PAINT.
>> MEG IS MEG RYAN, THE MEG
RYAN.
HOW'S YOUR LOVE LIFE?
>> I'M ENGAGED TO A -- AT 67 TO
A VERY FUNNY WOMAN.
FUNNIEST WOMAN I EVER MET.
>> WOW.
LISTEN, IT'S WELL PUBLICIZED
YOUR RELATIONSHIP HAS BEEN SORT
OF LIKE AN ACCORDION.
THERE'S SOME DAYS IT'S WAY OUT
THERE LIKE THIS, AND SOME DAYS
IT'S IN LIKE THAT.
HOW DID YOU FIGURE OUT AT 67 NOW
LET'S DO THIS THING FOR REAL?
>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN.
I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE
TALKING ABOUT, HARRY.
ONE COULD WELL IMAGINE I'M
PROBABLY NOT THE EASIEST GUY TO
GET ALONG WITH.
LET'S LEAVE IT AT THAT.
>> WHILE MELLENCAMP DISAVOWED
PURSUIT OF THE POP CHARTS YEARS
AGO, HE BELIEVES "JACK AND
DIANE" STILL HAVE SOMETHING TO
SAY.
>> WE'RE GETTING READY TO MOUNT
"JACK AND DIANE" AS A MUSICAL.
EVERY PROBLEM THAT THIS COUNTRY
IS GOING THROUGH TODAY IS IN
THAT MUSICAL.
THIS IS NOT A JUKEBOX MUSICAL.
OUR AMBITIONS ARE SET VERY HIGH.
AS CLOSE TO STAIN BECK AS WE CAN
GET IT.
>> HE WROTE YOU'RE BOUND TO GET
IDEAS WHEN YOU GO THINKING ABOUT
STUFF.
THAT'S MELLENCAMP, AND HE'S
BOUND TO KEEP SHARING THEM.
RETIREMENT?
>> IT'S AN INDIAN WORD FOR SLOW
DEATH.
>> SO THERE'S NO RETIRING WITH
ME.
NO.
THEY'LL HAVE TO