John Prine - Angel from Montgomery: Transgender Allegory?
Let me preface with this- Obviously the song is well documented as representing a middle to late aged woman stuck in a monotonous life cycle. She has the potential for more in her life but cannot convince herself of it. However, music- being the art form that it is- is subjective, and may have many interpretations that vary from listener to listener and, personally, I believe the song may be a transgender allegory told from the perspective of two transgender individuals- Mainly from a transgender woman and partially from a transgender man, both wishing for and idealizing the life at the other end of the gender spectrum.
Before we even address the lyrics, the very fact that a man chose to write a song so consistently from the perspective of a woman, particularly in 1971, only adds credence to my perspective. Admittedly, when I was younger and unlearned, I thought the song was written by Bonnie Raitt and later covered by Prine, and Prine just chose not to change the pronouns in the song. I figured this because of how uncommon it is for a song to be written from the view of the different sex. However, John Prine, like plenty of folk artists of the era, was notably progressive. Famously, he was very critical of the Vietnam war, taking up vehemently anti-war, anti-American Imperialism, anti-military intervention, and anti-nationalism viewpoints while criticizing blind patriotism and advocating for enhanced protection for veterans after enlistment in songs like "Sam Stone," "Your Flag Deal Won't Get You into Heaven Anymore," "Some Humans Ain't Human," etc. He advocates for environmentalism and worker's rights in "Paradise." He even supported bodily autonomy on the topic of abortion, establishing a clear pro-choice stance. I'm just saying, would it really be so strange if Prine wrote about the struggles of a marginalized people, even if he was not a member of that group himself?
Addressing the lyrics, there are plenty that fit the perspective of transgender narrators within reason.
"Make me an Angel / That flies from Montgomery"
I am not transgender, but I arbitrarily have many friends who are. Furthermore, I, similar to the narrator, am from the American "Dirty South." Southern Louisiana, namely, whereas the narrator leads us to believe they are from Montgomery, Alabama. These are two places within the same regions which infamously have an unsavory history of bigotry towards minority groups. It would be logical for someone to wish to leave these places if it means a more accepted and hopeful life for them somewhere else. I believe this line is one of our two trans narrators, a trans woman, who wishes to assume the appearance and role of an angel, which are typically portrayed in a feminine manner, perhaps because she dislikes the masculine frame she has. She wishes to put herself asunder from the city of Montgomery, to fly away from it, perhaps because she knows she can never fully be herself without fear of ridicule at best or violence rooted in hate at worst.
"Make me a poster / Of an old rodeo"
Immediately following the previous analyzed line, we have this one, which I perceive to be from the perspective of a trans man. This line conjures the image of a young adult girl, pre-transition, gazing intently at a poster of a rodeo in her childhood bedroom, wishing she could be the exemplary image of masculinity- a big, strong man outlasting a mighty bull, armed only with the indomitable spirit of a man and the thrill of the fight. She sees the future that a life in Montgomery expects for her, but she does not want to be a southern belle, she wants to be the dirty and tough cowboy.
"Just give me one thing / That I can hold onto / To believe in this living / Is just a hard way to go"
The chorus is actually the two narrators agreeing, perhaps even finding solace in their shared pain. They both want something outside of their bodies, because the bodies they were given just do not match who they feel they are. They hold onto the fact that at least one person understands their pain and how difficult their lives are in their gender prisons. There may be nothing they can do to change it, but they can at least revel in their common crises.
"If dreams were lightning, and thunder were desire / This old house would have burnt down a long time ago"
This one is relatively straightforward. It is our narrators lamenting the fact that they have spent their whole lives wishing, dreaming, praying, desiring to be set free from the restricting roles society has expected of them, so that they can be who they know they were born to be.
That's all I have to say, it's just my theory. I believe that music is an art, and art is subjective. This is one of the many interpretations I take on this wonderfully beautiful piece of art.
This is also my first time here, so I apologize if this genre of post is against the rules or is otherwise atypical or unexpected in this sub. Thank you.