Angel from Montgomery

1971 John Prine song

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"Angel from Montgomery"

Song by John Prine
from the album  John Prine
Released| January 1, 1971
Studio| American Recording Studios, Memphis, Tennessee
Genre| Country
Length| 3:43
Label| Atlantic
Songwriter(s)| John Prine
Producer(s)| Arif Mardin

"Angel from Montgomery" is a song written by John Prine,[1] originally appearing on his self-titled 1971 album John Prine. The song has been covered extensively by various artists.

## Background

[edit]

John Prine wrote "Angel from Montgomery" after a friend suggested writing "another song about old people," referring to Prine's song "Hello in There." Although Prine had "said everything I wanted to [about seniors] in 'Hello in There'" he was intrigued by the idea of "a song about a middle-aged woman who feels older than she is...[Eventually] I had this really vivid picture of this woman standing over the dishwater with soap in her hands...She wanted to get out of her house and her marriage and everything. She just wanted an angel to come to take her away from all this." Prine believes he likely was drawn to Montgomery as the song's setting by virtue of being a fan of Hank Williams, who had ties to that city.[2]

Angel from Montgomery was the original title of the Cherie Bennett/Jeff Gottesfeld screenplay that became the 2006 movie Broken Bridges. The screenplay's setting of Montgomery was changed to the fictitious Armour Springs in the movie.[3]

The song is used in the film Who Bombed Judi Bari?. It is also sung by Marc Menchaca, in the last episode of the series Ozark. In 2021, it was ranked at No. 350 on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[4]

## Other versions

[edit]

John Prine introduced "Angel from Montgomery" on his self-titled debut album in 1971. Carly Simon recorded it, but did not release it, in 1972 in her first session for No Secrets, produced by Paul Buckmaster and featuring James Taylor's vocals and Danny Kortchmar on guitar. Simon recalls: "Elektra rejected [the tracks from that session] and...asked me to work with Richard Perry. [Elektra] didn't think Buckmaster would produce a hit record for me." Simon's version did not surface until she released her 1995 box set, Clouds in My Coffee, for which the track was finally mixed and mastered.[5]

While Bonnie Koloc recorded "Angel from Montgomery" in 1972 on her album Hold on to Me, the song achieved its first high-profile artist cover in 1973 when John Denver included it—as "Angels from Montgomery"—on his Farewell Andromeda. But it was Bonnie Raitt's version, on her 1974 album Streetlights, that first attained wide recognition for the song. In a 2000 interview, Raitt stated: "I think 'Angel from Montgomery' probably has meant more to my fans and my body of work than any other song, and it will historically be considered one of the most important ones I've ever recorded. It's just such a tender way of expressing that sentiment of longing - like 'Hello in There' - without being maudlin or obvious. It has all the different shadings of love and regret and longing. It's a perfect expression from [a] wonderful genius."[6]

Raitt has covered the song several times. She sang it in duet with John Prine in 1985 at a concert in tribute to Steve Goodman.[7] (Prine, Goodman, and Bonnie Koloc were then considered the "trinity of the Chicago folk scene.") She performed the song with Rickie Lee Jones at the original Farm Aid benefit concert held 22 September 1985 in Champaign, Illinois; and with Tracy Chapman at the We the Planet Festival on 20 April 2003 in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. On her 1995 live disc Road Tested, on which "Angel from Montgomery" serves as the concert finale, Raitt is joined on the song by Bryan Adams, Jackson Browne, Bruce Hornsby and Kim Wilson.

Keller Williams performed the song at one of his early recorded shows at Fin's in Virginia Beach on Oct. 4, 1994.[8]

Susan Tedeschi recorded the song on her debut album, Just Won't Burn, released in 1998. It has since become a favorite, and she has also performed it often with the Tedeschi Trucks Band, as well.

"Angel from Montgomery" is performed in the film Into the Wild by the characters Tracy Tatro (Kristen Stewart) and Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch). It does not appear on the soundtrack album. The chorus is sung briefly in the film Courage Under Fire by the character Captain Karen Emma Walden (portrayed by Meg Ryan) during one of the flashback sequences.

The song was heard on the live television benefit broadcast on CMT May 12, 2011, performed by Gretchen Wilson. The Music Builds concert and fundraiser was to benefit the American Red Cross in the wakes of the floods and tornadoes throughout the Southeastern United States in April and May 2011.

Ruth Langmore imagines her late uncle, Russ Langmore, performing the song in a wistful scene during the last episode of the fourth and final season of the Netflix series, Ozark.[9]

"Angel from Montgomery" is a concert staple of Hank Williams' granddaughter, Holly Williams.

Singer Eddie Money's daughter Jesse recorded a version of the song in 2024 for a future solo release inspired by Bonnie Raitt's version of the song.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Streetlights". AllMusic. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
2. ^ "JOHN PRINE: The BLUERAILROAD Interview | bluerailroad". Bluerailroad.wordpress.com. 2012-11-22. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
3. ^ "Movie Filming Locations". Tn52.com. Archived from the original on 2013-03-02. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
4. ^ "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. 2021-09-15. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
5. ^ carlysimon.com Official Website - Ask Carly Archived July 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
6. ^ "Bonnie Raitt - Press - Women Changing the Face of Music: Bonnie Raitt". Archived from the original on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2010-10-09.
7. ^ "Steve Goodman Tribute - Chicago Tribune". Articles.chicagotribune.com. 1985-01-05. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
8. ^ "Keller Williams Live at Fin's on 1994-10-04 : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive". Archive.org. 4 October 1994. Retrieved 2016-07-25.
9. ^ Tallerico, Brian (April 29, 2022). "Ozark Series-Finale Recap: Ghosts". Vulture. New York Magazine. Retrieved May 1, 2022.

* v
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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)
* The Tree of Forgiveness (2018)

Live albums|

* John Prine Live (1988)
* Live on Tour (1997)
* In Person & On Stage (2010)
* September '78 (2015)

Compilation albums|

* Prime Prine: The Best of John Prine (1976)
* Great Days: The John Prine Anthology (1993)

Songs|

* "Sam Stone"
* "Hello in There
* "Paradise"
* "Your Flag Decal Won'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

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Bonnie Raitt

Studio albums|

* Bonnie Raitt (1971)
* Give It Up (1972)
* Takin' My Time (1973)
* Streetlights (1974)
* Home Plate (1975)
* Sweet Forgiveness (1977)
* The Glow (1979)
* Green Light (1982)
* Nine Lives (1986)
* Nick of Time (1989)
* Luck of the Draw (1991)
* Longing in Their Hearts (1994)
* Fundamental (1998)
* Silver Lining (2002)
* Souls Alike (2005)
* Slipstream (2012)
* Dig In Deep (2016)
* Just Like That... (2022)

Compilation albums|

* The Bonnie Raitt Collection (1990)
* The Best of Bonnie Raitt (2003)

Live albums|

* Road Tested (1995)
* Decades Rock Live: Bonnie Raitt and Friends (2006)

Singles|

* "You've Been in Love Too Long"
* "Runaway"
* "Keep This Heart in Mind"
* "Nick of Time"
* "Something to Talk About"
* "I Can't Make You Love Me"
* "Not the Only One"
* "Love Sneakin' Up On You"
* "You Got It"
* "Rock Steady" (with Bryan Adams)
* "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" (with Jackson Browne)
* "Right Down the Line"

Other songs|

* "Angel from Montgomery"
* "Just Like That"

Related articles|

* Discography

* v
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Carly Simon

Studio albums|

* Carly Simon
* Anticipation
* No Secrets
* Hotcakes
* Playing Possum
* Another Passenger
* Boys in the Trees
* Spy
* Come Upstairs
* Torch
* Hello Big Man
* Spoiled Girl
* Coming Around Again
* My Romance
* Have You Seen Me Lately
* Letters Never Sent
* Film Noir
* The Bedroom Tapes
* Moonlight Serenade
* Into White
* This Kind of Love
* Never Been Gone

Compilations|

* The Best of Carly Simon
* Clouds in My Coffee
* The Very Best of Carly Simon: Nobody Does It Better
* Anthology
* Reflections: Carly Simon's Greatest Hits
* Carly Simon Collector's Edition
* Original Album Series
* Playlist: The Very Best of Carly Simon
* Songs from the Trees (A Musical Memoir Collection)
* These Are the Good Old Days: The Carly Simon and Jac Holzman Story

Live albums|

* Greatest Hits Live
* Live at Grand Central

Christmas albums|

* Christmas Is Almost Here

Soundtrack albums|

* Working Girl
* This Is My Life
* Piglet's Big Movie
* The Best of Pooh and Heffalumps, Too

Other albums|

* No Nukes: The Muse Concerts for a Non-Nuclear Future
* In Harmony: A Sesame Street Record
* In Harmony 2
* Romulus Hunt: A Family Opera

Concert films|

* Live from Martha's Vineyard
* Carly in Concert – My Romance
* Live at Grand Central
* A Moonlight Serenade on the Queen Mary 2

Singles|

* "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be"
* "Anticipation"
* "Legend in Your Own Time"
* "You're So Vain"
* "The Right Thing to Do"
* "Mockingbird"
* "Haven't Got Time for the Pain"
* "Attitude Dancing"
* "Waterfall"
* "It Keeps You Runnin'"
* "Half a Chance"
* "Nobody Does It Better"
* "You Belong to Me"
* "Devoted to You"
* "Vengeance"
* "Jesse"
* "Hurt"
* "Why"
* "Kissing with Confidence"
* "You Know What to Do"
* "Tired of Being Blonde"
* "My New Boyfriend"
* "Coming Around Again"
* "Give Me All Night"
* "The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of"
* "All I Want Is You"
* "Let the River Run"
* "Better Not Tell Her"
* "Love of My Life"
* "Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)"
* "Let It Snow"

Other songs|

* "Angel from Montgomery"
* "We Have No Secrets"
* "Night Owl"
* "You Can Close Your Eyes"
* "When Manhattan Was a Maiden"

The Simon Sisters|

* Meet the Simon Sisters
* Cuddlebug
* The Simon Sisters Sing the Lobster Quadrille and Other Songs for Children
* Winkin', Blinkin' and Nod: The Kapp Recordings

Memoirs|

* Boys in the Trees: A Memoir
* Touched by the Sun: My Friendship with Jackie

Family|

* Richard Simon (father)
* Andrea Heinemann Simon (mother)
* George Simon (uncle)
* Joanna Simon (sister)
* Lucy Simon (sister)
* James Taylor (ex-husband)
* Sally Taylor (daughter)

Related articles|

* Awards and nominations
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Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

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