Midnight in Montgomery
Silver eagle, lonely Road
Was on my way to Mobile
For a big New Year's Eve show
And stopped for just a minute
To see a friend outside of town
With my collar up, I found his name
And felt the wind die down
And a drunk man in a cowboy hat
Took me by surprise
Wearin' shiny boots, a nudie suit, and haunted, haunted eyes
He said, "Friend, it's good to see you
It's nice to know you care"
Then the wind picked up, he was gone
Was he ever really there?

'Cause it's midnight in Montgomery
Just hear that whip-poor-will
See the stars light up the purple sky
Feel that lonesome chill
'Cause when the wind is right
You'll hear his song
Smell whisky in the air
Midnight in Montgomery
He's always singin' there

Well, I climbed back on that eagle
Took one last look around
Red tail lights, shadow moves slow across the ground
And off somewhere a midnight train is slowly passin' by
I can hear that wistle moan'
I'm so lonesome, I could cry

'Cause it's midnight in Montgomery
Just hear that whip-poor-will
See the stars light up the purple sky
Feel that lonesome chill
'Cause when the wind is right
You'll hear his song
Smell whisky in the air
Midnight in Montgomery
He's always singin' there
He's always singin' there

Well, Hank's always singin' there


Lyrics submitted by okeefenokeeGiant

Midnight in Montgomery Lyrics as written by Don Sampson Alan Eugene Jackson

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Midnight in Montgomery song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

6 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think this song is about Hank Williams magical presence: ie: feel that lonesome chill cause when the wind is right You hear his song, smell whisky in the air Midnight in Montgomery He's always singin' there and :He's always singin' there O' Hanks always singin' there I dunno, thats my guess. Can anyone help me?

    jenelle182on August 19, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    hanks grave is in montgomery. and alan jackson is talking about how the presence of a great country music legend filled him that night while he was there. he can almost hear hank singing and smell the whiskey in the air. hank was drunk alot and wore shiney cowboy boots and a "beauty suit". hints the phrase "Then a Drunk man in a cowboy hat took me by surprise wearing shiney boots a beauty suit" this songs meaning is very strong. hank is a country music legend and will never be forgotten. this is kind of a tribute to hank from alan jackson

    pool_shark930on August 20, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Hanks always singin' there its only obviouse that it's about Hank Williams. love the song and the video just gives you chills.

    Army123on August 20, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Just a correction.

    He wore a Nudie suit, not a "beauty" suit. A suit designed by Nudie Cohn, who made famous suits for Hank Williams, Elvis, Gram Parsons, Porter Wagoner to name a few.

    CdnMapGirlon June 17, 2007   Link
  • 0
    Memory

    I once heard that during the video shoot was an experience Alan Jackson would never forget. The equipment - lights, camera, etc - would keep malfunctioning. AJ and the film crew believed there was a "presence" at the grave during filming, and a lot of the film turned out to be warped (most of it during shots of Hank's grave; it showed spectres, black blots, etc.) possibly proving they were correct. If I remember correctly, they had to go back and do a re-shoot but didn't encounter anymore problems.

    AvalonRoseon May 01, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion

    I personally LOVE this song. It is so haunting yet beautiful at the same time. As a fan of country music, the reference to Hank Williams Sr is done in a way which really makes you think, and adds to the mystery of the song. Whoever posted the lyrics, however needs to make some changes as there are multiple spelling errors as well as errors within the lyrics as posted by someone else.

    earthgoddesson October 04, 2010   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
In regards to the meaning of this song: Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.” That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Album art
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines: "Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet" So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other: "I had all and then most of you" Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart "Some and now none of you" Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship. This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Album art
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere. In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Album art
Holiday
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday". I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Album art
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.