Breedloves's Folk Songs

ANGEL FROM MONTGOMERY

 

ANGEL FROM MONTGOMERY
“Angel from Montgomery” is a country song written by John Prine, originally appearing on his self-
titled 1971 album John Prine. It has been covered notably by Bonnie Raitt, Tanya Tucker, Dave
Matthews Band, Ben Harper, Susan Tedeschi and Jill Johnson in 2007. The song is performed in
the film Into the Wild” by the characters Tracy Tatro and Christopher McCandless. It does not
appear on the soundtrack. The chorus is also 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. I love how John Prine wrote this song and sings it from a woman’s perspective. He
does it so naturally that it doesn’t seem odd.
I am an old woman named after my mother
My old man is another child that’s grown old
If dreams were lightning thunder was desire
This old house would have burnt down a long time ago
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
When I was a young girl well, I had me a cowboy
He weren’t much to look at, just 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.
Repeat Chorus
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.
Repeat Chorus

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