If dreams were lightning, thunder were desire
This old house would have burnt down a long time ago
There are songs, and then there are songs that reach out and grab you every time you hear them. This edition of The Musical Tree is about one of those songs for me and maybe for you as well–a song that has been covered by dozens of artists. Get ready to venture into the kitchen as we explore Angel From Montgomery!
Angel From Montgomery is a song written by the great John Prine, recorded in Memphis, and released on his self-titled first album in 1971. When a friend suggested that Prine write a song about old people, Prine responded that he had already written a song for the album about old people which was the song Hello in There. Instead Prine was intrigued with writing a song about a middle-aged woman, a 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 of this.” With regard to the town of Montgomery, Prine—a huge fan of the great Hank Williams–chose that city because of ties Hank Williams had to that city.
What follows is a song that paints such a vivid picture that you instantly feel like you are in the same room feeling this woman’s despair, along with her hope. Hope that somehow, some way, an angel will come and lift her troubles away.
The very first line sets the tone for the whole song – “I am an old woman, named after my mother.” This is followed by “My old man is another child that has grown old – If dreams were lightning, thunder were desire, this house would have burnt down a long time ago”.
Wow. Those 4 lines pack a powerful punch. Especially those last two lines – suggesting that at one time the dreams and desire were there but now they are long gone, never to be dreamed again.
Prine goes on to have the woman reminisce about a cowboy that she once had, even if he “weren’t much to look at, just a free rambling man”. But she concedes that was a long time ago, and now the years just flow by “like a broken down dam.”.
The final verse unveils what is truly driving this woman’s feelings. She can hear the flies buzzing in the kitchen and she admits that she hasn’t “done nothing since I woke up today”. However it’s the final lines that reveal her frustration and loneliness. “How the hell can a person go to work in the morning and come home in the evening and have nothing to say”.
In between each verse we have the wonderful chorus – “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.”And that is what makes this woman’s portrait complete – she, as all of us have at one time in our lives, is searching for that one thing to hold onto. That line offers hope that maybe she will find it, that she will not be plowed under by this life that she is living.
While many artists have covered this song, it is Bonnie Raitt who has taken this song and owned it. It has long been a staple of her concerts, usually played near the end of her shows and it is always breathtaking. Bonnie delivers this song with such authority. If John Prine’s lyrics pull you into the kitchen where the woman is washing dishes, Bonnie’s voice makes you feel like you are standing right beside her.
In an interview conducted in 2000, Bonnie spoke about the song: “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.”
Despite the sadness of the song, Angel From Montgomery is a song that gives me hope. Who among us has not been at a point when things are so hard that you wish and hope that an Angel–be it from Montgomery or maybe from right around the corner—would come and rescue you? And that is what gives us hope! No matter how bad things might seem, hearing this song reminds me that others have felt the same and that you are not alone. That is what makes this such a great song – in sorrow there is joy, there is always a light in the distance. And if that light is the lightning of dreams, the thunder of desire, don’t ever lose sight of your dreams. Burn that house down!
Numerous artists have covered this great song and it has been featured in a number of movies and TV shows, most recently in the final season of the acclaimed series Ozark. I am only going to list a small representation – if you’re curious, I invite you to search for yourself. Rolling Stone named Angel From Montgomery #350 when they named the 500 Greatest Songs. I would argue that’s much too low, however I wasn’t consulted when they made their list!
These are some of my favorite renditions by a diverse group of artists who have covered Angel From Montgomery:
John Denver (mistakenly titled Angels from Montgomery)
Buddy Miller (featuring Brandi Carlile)
I hope you enjoyed this edition of The Musical Tree. Feel free to leave suggestions for future articles in the comments. Don’t forget to subscribe to be notified via email when there is a new post.
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Playlists of the songs featured in this blog can be found below:
