Tuesday, March 26, 2013

A poster of an old rodeo: Discovering John Prine




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 


These are the words I heard on the subway platform yesterday after work, and I scrambled to jot them down before the train came and whisked me away from the ethereal busker I had found. I only heard a few lines but the song really resonated with me - maybe because I'm trying to figure out my place in this world, maybe because I have a tendency to get restless, or maybe just because I'm a sucker for a good crooner. Regardless, I had to know more about this song, and I was hoping it was a cover as I'll probably never see that particular busker again. Luckily enough I discovered it's called Angel From Montgomery, written by John Prine in 1971 and made famous by Bonnie Raitt in 1974 on her album, Streetlights

I always enjoy Bonnie Raitt when she shows up on a playlist and I routinely make a mental note to check her out  but somehow she seems to consistently get buried on my never ending lists of other things to do. That is about to change. Both Raitt's lovely voice and Prine's sober lyrics leave me wanting more. And that's just what I'll get this weekend when I curl up with my iPod and a large pot of tea (with maybe a little bourbon in there for good measure). 


;-)




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