My wife told me to learn this song on my guitar tonight so I could play it and sing it with her... if that's not a sign I just don't know what is. I work too much. We have two kids and they are the joy of my life. But this song has now taught me that I have to stop... I have to recognize her again as the beautiful girl she is. I can't thank this song and this moment enough.
I was extremely fortunate to work in a restaurant full of very bright, capable, and quite amazing people back when I was 20 years old. One of the three owners ( now God rest his soul ) was beyond eccentric and he loved JP. He would insist on me playing this song especially late at night. The restaurant had an amazing sound system and played reel to reel tapes that were put together by a staff member who happened to also work as a DJ for the local NPR station. It was during this time that my love of music expanded to include many diverse artists that I quite possibly would have never come to know. John Prine is a special one and this video has flooded me with many memories. Thanks
Legend has it that Kris Kristofferson walked into a bar to hear this young kid sing a song sung from the perspective of an old woman and pretty much said “who the heck is this boy and HOW DID HE DO THAT?” And a star was born. Thank goodness Kristofferson walked into that bar.
I heard this song unexpectedly today after not hearing it for a while and immediately burst into tears, then I found this video. I turn 47 in a few months so…midlife crisis right on schedule I guess. What a songwriter. RIP
Genius. He sees the characters in his songs, their loss, fear, anger, love, angst, or delight and shares it in song. Singer songwriters with that kind of talent are so rare...a huge loss, as are all the great musicians that fill our lives with joy and bring us together.
John Prine writes music much like Tarantino directs films. QT will write entire childhoods, life experiences, traumatic events, etc. for certain characters, solely for the actors sake. Quentin once said “that stuff isn’t for the audience, it’s not for you, it’s for the actor.” That is so intimate and cool and few people in this world can weave this type of artistry.
This has always been one of my favorite songs. Saw John 6-7 times in concert and also had the pleasure of seeing him and Bonnie Raitt sing this together twice.
There’s 12K views here and I think there’d be just 11 if it weren’t for me coming back time and again. John told stories, he didn’t just sing songs. Bless you, you’ll be missed.
This changes everything. I've been obsessed with this song for a couple of weeks (decades) now. I recently decided it was the saddest song ever written. But it all hinged on what the protagonist meant by "old. " I'm currently taking care of my 93 year old mother, and I'm not that far behind her, so when John said "old", I assumed he meant old. This made this, to me, one of the saddest songs I ever heard. And I love me the sad songs, the sadder the better. Why? Beats me, ask Dr Freud. But when he says he sees the woman as being 47 years old, well, that changes everything. It doesn't make it a lesser song. In fact, it makes it a better song. And it is, in my mind, before and after, one of the finest songs ever written. But the fact that she's a mere 47, even in the time when he wrote it, fills the song with hope. I'm not generally a fan of hope. It's often an excuse to not act. And if I were truly old, like 80 or 90, there would be no hope, and this would be the saddest song ever written. But she's 47, and hope abounds! Fuck him (her husband), tell him to take a hike. Don't tell him anything, just leave his sorry ass, might be the best thing for him, too. The verse about "flies buzzing,.. I ain't done nothin" is the most spot-on description of depression I've ever read/heard. Good. Fuck you, depression! Get a doctor, take some therepy, take some pills. Do something. It worked for me. This song, instead of being the most depressing I've ever heard, is one of the most hopeful I've ever heard. All because the poster of this video posted this video and showed that the young John Prine was too young to know the power he possesed., I now know and understand this song as the masterpiece I knew it to be. Thank you, poster.
Prine fan since 1971. His saddest song in my opinion is " Six O'clock News:" He was a tremendous performer. Saw him live many times. Listen to "Summers's End and. "Living in the Future" "Souvenirs", "Dear Abby" and all of "Tree of Forgiveness" and the first self-titled album. John never won anything shortly before he died and after his death. His cult following is legendary.
One of the greatest American storytellers, if he never picked up guitar he would’ve still been a great poet/author but thankfully we all have these great recordings to hear him tell his stories in his own voice to great music
I am so lucky to be in the same world as John Prine. Listening to his characters singing their lives lets me feel through my heart, revealing love that my head ignores. He lives on through his songs. Three basic chords singing to my soul allowing me to resonate in the beauty he revealed. Thank You Mr. John Prine.
There’ll never be another. My best friends brother introduced to John, Goose Creek, Bob Seger and some other greats. Lost him 2 yrs ago and he could also play and sing. I owe him a lot for the great music he introduced me to but we’ll be together again someday. RIP John Prine. 😊❤️🎼🎼🎼🎼
@@elinannestad5320 first heard Bonnie Raitt's version, bought her album Streetlights. Turned out that Angel from Montgomery was the most "upbeat" song on the album LOL
Absolutely. It seems like he wrote this song about someone personally for sure. Something tells me he was thinking about that person and he’s the one who picked up the guitar.
I've always loved the question posed here about how can you have nothing to say. And - "To believe in this living is just a hard way to go" - that line works on me every time. What does he mean by that? What can we make it mean? Maybe it's just there to furrow your brow a little every time you hear it. I've been listening to this song for fifty years, and for me that last line is a place to put an understanding I've come to about what humans are for. I could explain at this point, but I'm not gonna. That's between me an' John.
Yeah, beautifully said. To me, at the risk of being simplistic, the last line is asking, "Is it worth going on?". And you answer that, despite being unwilling to answer that , succinctly.
In interviews Ive heard him say that in writing songs he would try to make certain lines open to everyone’s own interpretation, so most people could apply it in some way to their own situations. That line probably hits home with a lot of people for a lot of different reasons. It’s pretty amazing when you can listen to a certain song and make it your own.
This video makes this whole song make sense to me. Makes me feel for the wives everywhere and also understand my wife more. I guess an outside perspective written and sang so well really knocks it into you.
What a great find this video is? Wow - blown away. In this later years, he didn’t quite pick it the way he did like in this one. For those who want to learn how to play it ‘this way’, Jerry’s Guitar Bar has it transcribed with a great lesson video. I’ll be starting on it tomorrow. RIP, Handsome Johnny.
I think John Prine and Bob Dillon are the two best songwriters/lyricist of this century... I don't know if they ever got together and maybe they couldn't... the world might implode if that much truth and reality about life were released into a world of make believe!
Certainly, Prine and Dylan are among the best, but there are many others who can write song lyrics that are brilliant. Paul Simon, Carol King, Gorden Lightfoot, et al.
Growing up I always thought this was like a sweet love story but never really listened to the story. Only paying attention to the chorus, I assumed the it was about a guy looking for his soulmate.. After I actually listened to the lyrics, and notice he was singing from the perspective of the women, me and my girlfriend interpreted this song for like 45 minutes one day. Her take was different that mine, which I thought was kinda cool. I recently thought it was about a girl contemplating suicide, because she was washed up and dreaming about a time she was in her prime, and possibly dated someone who broke her heart. She married just to marry but there was no real connection, so they’re just kinda going through the motions. My girlfriend said it was about someone who married what she thought was the perfect stereotypical man she dreamed of as a little girl, but realized that’s not what she got, possibly because he could be an abusive person or someone she feels more like a slave too, rather than a wife. Such a great song, RIP John Prime, from Montgomery, AL
This song has FOUR notes in it....that's all. His other song, Paeadise has only five. Yet they're wonderful. Summer's End has six, but one of them you only hit once, and it can be sung with five. Nobody else does that.
My wife told me to learn this song on my guitar tonight so I could play it and sing it with her... if that's not a sign I just don't know what is. I work too much. We have two kids and they are the joy of my life. But this song has now taught me that I have to stop... I have to recognize her again as the beautiful girl she is. I can't thank this song and this moment enough.
Yes.
Yes...it is .
Good luck, my friend.
Did you learn it? You still remembering to slow down and recognize her beauty?
This comment is so kind and sweet it made me tear up. You are a wise person with insight.
pro trick : you can watch series at Flixzone. I've been using them for watching lots of of movies these days.
@Kaiser Dominik Yea, I've been watching on Flixzone} for since december myself :D
I was extremely fortunate to work in a restaurant full of very bright, capable, and quite amazing people back when I was 20 years old. One of the three owners ( now God rest his soul ) was beyond eccentric and he loved JP. He would insist on me playing this song especially late at night. The restaurant had an amazing sound system and played reel to reel tapes that were put together by a staff member who happened to also work as a DJ for the local NPR station. It was during this time that my love of music expanded to include many diverse artists that I quite possibly would have never come to know. John Prine is a special one and this video has flooded me with many memories. Thanks
Legend has it that Kris Kristofferson walked into a bar to hear this young kid sing a song sung from the perspective of an old woman and pretty much said “who the heck is this boy and HOW DID HE DO THAT?” And a star was born. Thank goodness Kristofferson walked into that bar.
Two of the best
THIS IS TRUE WORDS FROM KRIS HIMSELF
HE EVEN RECORDED ON OLE BOY RECORD
CO.W/ JOHN.🎸❤️🎸❤️🎸❤️🎸❤️🎸❤️
I believe there are thousands of unsung heroes out there who did not have that good luck. John's good luck, and ours for getting to enjoy his gift.
I heard this song unexpectedly today after not hearing it for a while and immediately burst into tears, then I found this video. I turn 47 in a few months so…midlife crisis right on schedule I guess. What a songwriter. RIP
Genius. He sees the characters in his songs, their loss, fear, anger, love, angst, or delight and shares it in song. Singer songwriters with that kind of talent are so rare...a huge loss, as are all the great musicians that fill our lives with joy and bring us together.
John Prine writes music much like Tarantino directs films. QT will write entire childhoods, life experiences, traumatic events, etc. for certain characters, solely for the actors sake. Quentin once said “that stuff isn’t for the audience, it’s not for you, it’s for the actor.” That is so intimate and cool and few people in this world can weave this type of artistry.
This has always been one of my favorite songs.
Saw John 6-7 times in concert and also had the pleasure of seeing him and Bonnie Raitt sing this together twice.
John Prine is an American Treasure
Nobody can do Prine like Prine himself...a fan forever.
Try to find the channel of Elisa Louise 😊
That is the absolute truth!
True. Others can do it justice, do it well. John sang it and "owned"it.
There’s 12K views here and I think there’d be just 11 if it weren’t for me coming back time and again. John told stories, he didn’t just sing songs. Bless you, you’ll be missed.
Thank you @bamapoppy :)
Rest in peace John, I been teary eyed since I got word. Your legacy will live forever.
Saw him in Columbia mo..
Love lives on🌍✌❤
This changes everything.
I've been obsessed with this song for a couple of weeks (decades) now. I recently decided it was the saddest song ever written. But it all hinged on what the protagonist meant by "old. " I'm currently taking care of my 93 year old mother, and I'm not that far behind her, so when John said "old", I assumed he meant old. This made this, to me, one of the saddest songs I ever heard. And I love me the sad songs, the sadder the better. Why? Beats me, ask Dr Freud.
But when he says he sees the woman as being 47 years old, well, that changes everything. It doesn't make it a lesser song. In fact, it makes it a better song. And it is, in my mind, before and after, one of the finest songs ever written.
But the fact that she's a mere 47, even in the time when he wrote it, fills the song with hope. I'm not generally a fan of hope. It's often an excuse to not act. And if I were truly old, like 80 or 90, there would be no hope, and this would be the saddest song ever written. But she's 47, and hope abounds! Fuck him (her husband), tell him to take a hike. Don't tell him anything, just leave his sorry ass, might be the best thing for him, too.
The verse about "flies buzzing,.. I ain't done nothin" is the most spot-on description of depression I've ever read/heard. Good. Fuck you, depression! Get a doctor, take some therepy, take some pills. Do something. It worked for me.
This song, instead of being the most depressing I've ever heard, is one of the most hopeful I've ever heard. All because the poster of this video posted this video and showed that the young John Prine was too young to know the power he possesed., I now know and understand this song as the masterpiece I knew it to be. Thank you, poster.
Well said.
Best of health to your mom.
Prine fan since 1971. His saddest song in my opinion is " Six O'clock News:" He was a tremendous performer. Saw him live many times. Listen to "Summers's End and. "Living in the Future" "Souvenirs", "Dear Abby" and all of "Tree of Forgiveness" and the first self-titled album. John never won anything shortly before he died and after his death. His cult following is legendary.
Both.
One of the greatest American storytellers, if he never picked up guitar he would’ve still been a great poet/author but thankfully we all have these great recordings to hear him tell his stories in his own voice to great music
No one else's songs have ever touched my heart the way Johns had, he'll be missed but never forgotten.
Thank you John Prine for leaving us your heartfelt music.
I am so lucky to be in the same world as John Prine. Listening to his characters singing their lives lets me feel through my heart, revealing love that my head ignores. He lives on through his songs. Three basic chords singing to my soul allowing me to resonate in the beauty he revealed. Thank You Mr. John Prine.
I just bought my Martin guitar.......specifically because of what John Prine says here. No other reason.
I love you John. We all miss you.
There’ll never be another. My best friends brother introduced to John, Goose Creek, Bob Seger and some other greats. Lost him 2 yrs ago and he could also play and sing. I owe him a lot for the great music he introduced me to but we’ll be together again someday. RIP John Prine. 😊❤️🎼🎼🎼🎼
Loved John's intro to this masterpiece. You will missed. Be at peace.
I was fortunate to see John Prine live two years before his death. Unforgettable experience , the man wore a black suit and wowed us all.
Is a reason for Everything somehow someway....❤🤞❤ Old Soul 4 sure& Soooo Greatly Missed
Miss the man love his music
Songs that will last forever!
It's never goodbye,only so long!
Mr. John Prine.
Thank you!
Such a powerful song. It hits harder than any heavy metal tune.
Isn't that the absolute truth. Subtle but strong.
Great comment, metal tries through show but this hits to the core. Simple words that had to be said.
Legit one of the greatest songwriters, and song. Rock on bro, see you soon.
Idk why this dont have 5 million views
What a human being. Whether or not he pulls though, the world will always be better for his being in it.
Ahh an American icon. Rest easy brother. You are missed.
I was going through some shit when this song became a staple. Thanks, John.
Natural as a heartbeat, strong as truth
My favorite version of this good old tune. Just wonderful.
So many versions of this song out there...
This is the one (for me). Simple and true.
Me too.
I've listened to half a dozen versions of this song, and this one is still my favorite. Such an excellent song. Thank you for sharing it!
Bonnie Raitt for me.
@@elinannestad5320 first heard Bonnie Raitt's version, bought her album Streetlights. Turned out that Angel from Montgomery was the most "upbeat" song on the album LOL
:40 second mark. It is just me or does John get a little emotional at this point in the intro? I love it.
Absolutely. It seems like he wrote this song about someone personally for sure. Something tells me he was thinking about that person and he’s the one who picked up the guitar.
I never noticed that, thanks, Dude.
In my solo setlist along with "Please Don't Bury Me" Love it.
We’ll miss you, John
My favorite John Prine song. I love Bonnie Raitts version of it as well.
My favorite recording of this song. Thanks for posting
God bless your soul John
Greatest intro ever!!
I've always loved the question posed here about how can you have nothing to say. And - "To believe in this living is just a hard way to go" - that line works on me every time. What does he mean by that? What can we make it mean? Maybe it's just there to furrow your brow a little every time you hear it.
I've been listening to this song for fifty years, and for me that last line is a place to put an understanding I've come to about what humans are for. I could explain at this point, but I'm not gonna. That's between me an' John.
Yeah, beautifully said. To me, at the risk of being simplistic, the last line is asking, "Is it worth going on?". And you answer that, despite being unwilling to answer that , succinctly.
In interviews Ive heard him say that in writing songs he would try to make certain lines open to everyone’s own interpretation, so most people could apply it in some way to their own situations. That line probably hits home with a lot of people for a lot of different reasons. It’s pretty amazing when you can listen to a certain song and make it your own.
The setting for this video is perfect as is John Prine.
This video makes this whole song make sense to me. Makes me feel for the wives everywhere and also understand my wife more. I guess an outside perspective written and sang so well really knocks it into you.
You must have a loving heart to have come to that understanding.
Dear John, I miss you my friend.
What a great find this video is? Wow - blown away.
In this later years, he didn’t quite pick it the way he did like in this one. For those who want to learn how to play it ‘this way’, Jerry’s Guitar Bar has it transcribed with a great lesson video. I’ll be starting on it tomorrow.
RIP, Handsome Johnny.
Thanks John. A blessing to America
For those who don't klnow, an angel from Montgomery is a death-row pardon from the governor
A craftsman at work.
He sings a little off the beat, similar to Willie Nelson. Yet his story telling is heart breaking and heart lifting at the same time...
Life is so fucking hard perhaps its shortness is a blessing in the end
God I miss John Prine!
We miss you John
RIP oh great one...
Happy Heavenly (belated) 76 John ! RIP 🙏
Love John . RIP
Rest in Peace buddy.
Johnny....... We Hardly Knew Ya !
thanks. john was a legend.
San Judas Tadeo John Prine
I think John Prine and Bob Dillon are the two best songwriters/lyricist of this century... I don't know if they ever got together and maybe they couldn't... the world might implode if that much truth and reality about life were released into a world of make believe!
Certainly, Prine and Dylan are among the best, but there are many others who can write song lyrics that are brilliant. Paul Simon, Carol King, Gorden Lightfoot, et al.
This is about Mr.John
Start your own posts but leave Mr.Johns story & go start your own story. ☹️☹️☹️ THANK YOU♥️🎸♥️🎸♥️🎸♥️🎸
RIP brother!
Fucking truth. Ya gotta feel it ya can't hear it.
When you start to see those dust particles floating in you know it's time for a change .
Maybe one of the greatest things on RUclips
Sending healing vibes and love. You can beat this virus!
Saddest comment I’ve read all day
So good...
Rest In Peace
True
Thanks for posting this
Growing up I always thought this was like a sweet love story but never really listened to the story. Only paying attention to the chorus, I assumed the it was about a guy looking for his soulmate.. After I actually listened to the lyrics, and notice he was singing from the perspective of the women, me and my girlfriend interpreted this song for like 45 minutes one day.
Her take was different that mine, which I thought was kinda cool. I recently thought it was about a girl contemplating suicide, because she was washed up and dreaming about a time she was in her prime, and possibly dated someone who broke her heart. She married just to marry but there was no real connection, so they’re just kinda going through the motions.
My girlfriend said it was about someone who married what she thought was the perfect stereotypical man she dreamed of as a little girl, but realized that’s not what she got, possibly because he could be an abusive person or someone she feels more like a slave too, rather than a wife.
Such a great song, RIP John Prime,
from Montgomery, AL
huh??
Incredible song and is the lake in the background from Osage in Ozark?
This song has FOUR notes in it....that's all. His other song, Paeadise has only five. Yet they're wonderful. Summer's End has six, but one of them you only hit once, and it can be sung with five. Nobody else does that.
Well, this is me y'all
Or Montgomery West Virginia. For someone I knew.....
Dam Covid bullshit got a dam good one here.
Do you know where this was recorded?
God speed
Whoever says that anyone can write a song with 3 chords can't write Angel From Montgomery.
My God! I can appreciate but not contribute. How does this move your inner soul? I think unbeliveable is so overused. Unbelievable!
I can't for the life of me figure out what in the hell would possess a male in his mid-20s to write a song like this.
Pure talent
He didnt. He says so in this video.
inspiration and observation
Muse
@@Justdon-s2s correct
Erin
bretman rock
What river is he at?
👼😇🐎❕ G-G.
maybe she should've had kids and then...grandkids...
“I ain’t done nothin since I woke up today…” haunts the soul
Daammm