Angel from Montgomery - STEVEN R. TABOR

Angel from Montgomery

John Prine's "Angel from Montgomery" was written in 1970 and introduced on Prine's 1971 self-titled debut album. Over the years, many artists have covered the song, and it was Bonnie Raitt's version of it, on her 1974 album Streetlights that brought the song widespread recognition.

Prine wrote the song as an ode to growing older. He was intrigued by the idea of "a song about a middle-aged woman who feels older than she is.." When I listen to "Angel from Montgomery", I wonder if life passes like that "old rodeo". The world is constantly changing, and "finding that one thing to hold onto" is, as the song declares, "a hard way to go".

For this series, a model, Diedre, was asked to pose to the song. Dressed in old rodeo clothes, she stares in the distance, as if she is waiting for her own guardian angel to carry her away.

If you'd like to see the full series, download the PDF catalog here.