Many would argue that John Prine was the greatest songwriter of the 20th century. While he could tell stories from his life in songs like “Paradise” he was also comfortable stepping outside of himself, taking on other characters, and telling their stories. “Angel from Montgomery” from his 1971 self-titled debut album is a great example of this. In the song, he stepped into the shoes of a dissatisfied middle-aged woman. Not long after he released the song, Bonnie Raitt recorded it and made it her own.
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Raitt and Prine performed “Angel from Montgomery” together countless times over the years. The video below shows them performing it for what may have been the final time. The clip comes from ACL Presents: Americana 18th Annual Honors which took place in November 2019. Prine passed away roughly six months later on April 7, 2020.
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“At this point in our lives having sung ‘Angel from Montgomery’ so many times together, we’re really proud to play that signature song that I love so much,” Raitt said, introducing the performance. “I’ve been singing it since 1973 or so when I first started to tour with John,” she added.
“Angel from Montgomery” Is an Example of John Prine’s Songwriting Skill
John Prine wrote “Angel From Montgomery” when his friend suggested he write another song about senior citizens like “Hello in There.” According to Songfacts, Prine didn’t want to do that. He had said all he had to say about the elderly with “Hello in There.” However, it did spark another idea. He had the idea to write about “A middle-aged woman who feels older than she is.”
“I had this really vivid picture of this woman standing over the dishwasher with soap in her hands and just walking away from it all,” Prine said of the song. “I just kept that whole image in mind when I was writing the song and I just let it pour out of that character’s heart,” he added.
About the song, Bonnie Raitt 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.”
Featured Image by Daniel DeSlover/ZUMA Wire/Shutterstock
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