John Prine – Angel From Montgomery

When I think of John Prine this song comes to mind. In this song, he takes on a different gender and you don’t even blink…Prine makes it work. He said: “As a young feminist, the idea that this young man could inhabit the world of a middle-aged woman in a thankless marriage really resonated with me.”

What a terrific singer-songwriter he was…he wrote for his voice and again…it worked for Prine.

Prine was working as a mailman when he wrote this incredible song. He said while walking on his route he would think of lyrics.  The song was released in 1971 on his self-titled debut album. It was a song about a 47-year-old woman who feels older than she is…but why did he pick Montgomery Alabama? He said he wasn’t sure but it could have been because it was Hank Williams’ home.

I went to secondhandsongs.com and there have been an incredible 90 covers of it. They range from Bonnie Raitt, John Denver, Tanya Tucker, Carly Simon, Susan Tedeschi, and Wynonna.

John_Prine_self-titled

John Prine’s self-titled debut album peaked at #154 on the Billboard Album Charts in 1971. In 2020 the album peaked at #55. He was nominated for a Grammy “Best New Artist” in 1972 but didn’t win. He did end up winning 5 Grammys in his career.

In 2020, the album was ranked number 149 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. I stopped taking RS seriously but I thought I would add this ranking. It truly IS a great album.

John Prine: “I had this really vivid picture of this woman standing over the dishwater with soap in her hands and just walking away from it all, I just kept that whole idea image in mind when I was writing the song, and I just let it pour out of that character’s heart.”

Angel From Montgomery

I am an old woman named after my mother
My old man is another child that’s grown old
If dreams were lightning, thunder were desire
This old house would have burnt down a long time ago

Make me an angel that flies from Montgomery
Make me a poster of an old rodeo
Just give me one thing that I can hold on to
To believe in this living is just a hard way to go

When I was a young girl, well, I had me a cowboy
He weren’t much to look at, just a free rambling man
But that was a long time and no matter how I try
The years just flow by like a broken down dam

Make me an angel that flies from Montgomery
Make me a poster of an old rodeo
Just give me one thing that I can hold on to
To believe in this living is just a hard way to go

There’s flies in the kitchen, I can hear ’em there buzzing
And I ain’t done nothing since I woke up today
How the hell can a person go to work in the morning
And come home in the evening and have nothing to say?

Make me an angel that flies from Montgomery
Make me a poster of an old rodeo
Just give me one thing that I can hold on to
To believe in this living is just a hard way to go

Unknown's avatar

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

29 thoughts on “John Prine – Angel From Montgomery”

  1. Ok, so here’s a weird synchronicity, if that’s the right word. A friend of mine recently invited me into a band of his. They have a female lead singer and she loves this song. I actually didn’t know it but since then – and this is only within the past few months – I’ve played it dozens of times. I started listening to the Bonnie Raitt version and thought, hmm, this could use some slide. Then the singer indicated she preferred the Tedeschi version which DID have slide. So I learned the slide intro and solo. A really nice song that I thought the singer did well. Alas, my tenure in the band did not last. I was into practicing and neither she nor the drummer seemed to understand the importance of it. Other than that tune, during rehearsals she would read lyrics from her phone. The final straw for me was when the drummer said he was sick of playing some of the songs and that we should just “play through the mistakes.” And prior to that he had shot down doing “Funk #49” in favor of – wait for it – “I Love You More Today than Yesterday,”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I’ve played with people like that before. We would have a show and they would want to “wing it”… uh no…we are not the Dead. It’s one thing to ad lib on Johnny B Goode or Not Fade Away but other songs like this…no.

      Yea that last bit about wanting to ditch Funk #49 for that song…that would be time to go.

      Like

      Reply

      1. I told the guy you gotta work it and work it. He equated it to the couple of hours he spent jamming with friends as if they’re the same thing. That other tune is, as far as I’m concerned, a wedding song. Weirdly, he’s a young guy. And BTW, he called “Funk” boring. A clown and not a good enough drummer to get away with it. Anyway, at least I learned “Angel” out of it.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Yes if I’m playing in front of people…which has been a while…but if I’m doing that…I want the song to be second nature to me playing it. I’ve known guys that hate playing “the same songs over and over” again. Never bothered me in the least.
        Nothing worse than being on stage and having a song fall apart…
        I would have lost all respect when I heard him say “boring.”

        Like

  3. A real gem I first knew by Bonnie Raitt, an artist I’ve liked for many years. As such, I’m probably biased when I say that’s my favorite version of the song. That said, I dig John Prine’s original as well and agree he was a great songwriter.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. A great song is a great song no matter who does it….but yes I know the Raitt version best also…so I get what you are saying! Great to have you back Christian!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  5. like John says, he is a talent indeed and one I should dig a bit deeper into . This one’s quite good in writing and presentation; vaguely, very vaguely think I heard Raitt’s version before. Stars never really aligned well for Prine but I guess he still had a decent life and probably made a fair living with his writing and performing.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Yea man his lyrics are awesome…the description as you said…who would have thought of a fly buzzin around? That is great.

      Like

      Reply

  8. The cover I’ve heard most is Bonnie Raitt’s, but I like the way Prine sings it in the first video. The steel guitar lends a beautiful mournfulness that complements the lyrics.

    Like

    Reply

    1. When I saw Eric Clapton ranked36th on their guitarist poll…Joni MItchell was actually number 9? Nothing against her songwriting or singing….it’s great…but as a guitar player she is better than Eric Clapton?

      Like

      Reply

Leave a comment