[ ]   [ ]   [ ]                        [ ]      [ ]   [ ]
Bonnie Raitt — Angel From Montgomery
Album: Streetlights
Avg rating:
8

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1323









Released: 1974
Length: 3:52
Plays (last 30 days): 0
I am an old woman
Named after my mother
My old man is another
Child that's grown old

If dreams were thunder
Lightning was desire
This old house woulda 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 livin'
Is just a hard way to go

When I was a young girl
Well I had me a cowboy
It weren't much to look at
Just a free ramblin' man
But that was a long time
And no matter how I tried
Those 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 livin'
Is just a hard way to go

There's flies in the kitchen
I can hear them there buzzin'
And I ain't done nothin' since I woke up today
But how the hell can a person
Go to work in the mornin'
And come home in the evenin'
And have nothin' 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 livin'
Is just a hard way to go
Comments (63)add comment
8—>9
one of my favorites from Bonnie 
Well that's just friggin' ridiculous, a sixty-three-yr-old man isn't supposed to be standing at the kitchen sink doin' dishes with tears in his eyes and his singalong voice choked up. Sheese. Bonnie still does it to me. :-)
Excellent song, cover, and musician, but because my taste in leaning blues runs more towards folk than country, my favourite version by far is the one by Alison Krauss.
 jjbchansen159 wrote:

Nothing against Prine, but this is the version. 



He don't mind, he gave it to her. 
 corbu wrote:

I don't have tears in my eyes.



Damn onions!
Nothing against Prine, but this is the version. 
Now those are some gosh darn lyrics!
I still hear Laura 'Leslie Spit Tree-o' Hubert's voice by default for this song.
 Clark_Novato wrote:




I am so glad i find a lot of hidden gems on RP
I don't have tears in my eyes.
sad to say I don't know this but I love it - Bless BR and JP .... that's all
 pxd wrote:

BR sings JP - what’s not to like? This song has been a fav for me since I first heard it in the mid/late 70s. pxd




saw both John and Bonnie sing this live in Chicago separately back in the early 70's. Love both versions. always brings me to tears.
 jp33442 wrote:
This is a nine because of bonnie singing this and the late john prine writing it
My exact sentiments.  Prine was a great songwriter, but he was on a different plane when writing this one.
 

 Edweirdo wrote:

I'm guessing that if she'd become a Trumpist, you wouldn't have minded.


Agreed. It seems like right-wingers always get upset about musicians getting political. I guess they don't like it when the musicians are correct?
This is a nine because of bonnie singing this and the late john prine writing it
 iloveradio wrote:
Bonnie Raitt is a national treasure.
 

Yes. She is.
Agnosticism be damned, God Bless John Prine and God Bless Bonnie Raitt.
 (Banned) wrote:
I used to like Bonnie Raitt, until she became political.  I couldn't care less about her now.  She ruined her music.  You can go ahead and pile on me now, I couldn't give a shit.  
 
I'm guessing that if she'd become a Trumpist, you wouldn't have minded.
One of my favorite songs to perform live. I used to play guitar and sing backgrounds on this in a small group and we arranged 4 part harmonies on the chorus. Just a magical song that is a part of my fondest musical memories.
Goosebumps when I hear this.  Just... lovely.
'To believe in this livin' is just a hard way to go'. It certainly is.
Time & time again I find myself listening to something here & think, "oh yeah, that's a  [rating #]" - then I go to rate it, and find I've already done so - with the same rating! (at least I'm consistent ).

And so this one stays a 9 for me.
WOW.
 drictor wrote:

Yup, that.
 
Ditto.
Simply beautiful.
What a fantastic album - I really loved this song and John Prine. Bonnie always covered the most amazing songs. Fun to sing along
A fantastic song. RIP John Prine.
 keelo wrote:
Sad day. The live duet with John and Bonnie comes to mind
 

Yes, I watched a video them performing this song together on Youtube just this morning when I heard the news of John's passing.
Great John Prine cover - this is the first Prine song I learned on the guitar.
When this damn covid is over, my buddies and I will do a guitar campfire  tribute to John of his songs.

RIP John.
 PeterMcClelland wrote:
I’m getting all tearful here. Today a 10
 
Yup, that.
I'm glad we had the chance to see him a few years back. Very special.

Saw Ms. Raitt about a year ago - she is still spectacular.
c.
I’m getting all tearful here. Today a 10
Tearing up at this song, today, more than usual. Thanks for the Prine double-play, RP.
Sad day. The live duet with John and Bonnie comes to mind
The best version of this song. IMHO.
 idiot_wind wrote:
I think her version is just a little better than Mr Prine.  Her live versions of this are exquisite. 
 
I think Mr. Prine would agree with you. In an interview (I think it may have been Bob Edwards, but doesn't matter) he was asked about covers and he picked this one as special. In his words, she took that song and made it hers.

John Prine is another national treasure.
 (Banned) wrote:
I used to like Bonnie Raitt, until she became political.  I couldn't care less about her now.  She ruined her music.  You can go ahead and pile on me now, I couldn't give a shit.  
 

Damn right cause artists have less of a right to free speech than the average person. (insert sarcasm font)
bonnie played this song on colbert recently
 iloveradio wrote:
Bonnie Raitt is a national treasure.
 
When she does this live it makes ya cry.  What a tribute to the great John Pryne.
Even though the live version is a bit better, this is still a gem of a song.
 (Banned) wrote:
I used to like Bonnie Raitt, until she became political. 
 

You mean back in '72? 
It comes to this. 

No matter how old you grow we are all, each and every one of us, just aging children aren't we?  

So it goes.

Highlow
American Net'Zen
I feel the same way about The guy from REM
(Banned) wrote:
I used to like Bonnie Raitt, until she became political.  I couldn't care less about her now.  She ruined her music.  You can go ahead and pile on me now, I couldn't give a shit.  
 

I used to like Bonnie Raitt, until she became political.  I couldn't care less about her now.  She ruined her music.  You can go ahead and pile on me now, I couldn't give a shit.  
Only rating this a 9 because the performance by a beautiful young woman when I was in uni sets the 10 bar, still making my heart and everything between my waist and knees ache when I think about it.
I think her version is just a little better than Mr Prine.  Her live versions of this are exquisite. 
Bonnie -- the real deal, always.
 iloveradio wrote:
Bonnie Raitt is a national treasure.

 
Absolutely. I still have this LP and play it, along with a number of her other LPs and CDs (still old school here). And I've seen her live 3 or 4 times. She's the real deal, and has been so for a remarkably long time.
Bonnie Raitt is a national treasure.
Taking refuge from Poe. Won't be here long.
Bonnie was a great touchstone for Americana before that was a turn, definitely Blues and worked with the best composers of the time.  I had this album so wonderful to hear this again.
I love her, I love the singing, I love the song.   I am an aging manchild who remembers when this was new and hearing it from that album makes me feel new again for a moment.
BR sings JP - what’s not to like? This song has been a fav for me since I first heard it in the mid/late 70s. pxd
Love Bonnie, but I have to say that I like Susan Tedeschi's cover better:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUSqw0jVZqQ
{#Hearteyes}  love Ms Raitt big time (looked for an emoji with hearts coming out of its ears)
Love ya Bonnie.
 Pearhead wrote:

Aye.....
is this the version with John Prine? Looks like this one has slipped under Bill's radar for what.....going on 3 years now? Seems to me this is right up Goldsmith alley. :?
 
Prine's not on this version.  He recorded a live version with her some years later.
 easmann wrote:

Amen. : )

 
Hear hear!


song from heaven, voice of an Angel

Bonnie Raitt - "Angel from Montgomery" Live (1974):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhe3vb0z7mY



Leslie wrote:
Perhaps my most favorite Bonnie Raitt tune of all time.
Aye..... is this the version with John Prine? Looks like this one has slipped under Bill's radar for what.....going on 3 years now? Seems to me this is right up Goldsmith alley. :?
Perhaps my most favorite Bonnie Raitt tune of all time.