Midnight in Montgomery
| "Midnight in Montgomery" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Alan Jackson | ||||
| from the album Don't Rock the Jukebox | ||||
| B-side | "Working Class Hero" | |||
| Released | April 20, 1992 | |||
| Format |
Promo-only CD single 7" 45 RPM | |||
| Recorded | August 21, 1990[1] | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:46 | |||
| Label | Arista 12418 | |||
| Writer(s) |
Alan Jackson Don Sampson | |||
| Producer(s) |
Scott Hendricks Keith Stegall | |||
| Alan Jackson singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Midnight in Montgomery" is a song written by American country music singer-songwriter Alan Jackson and Don Sampson, and performed by Jackson. It was released in April 1992 as the fourth single from Jackson's second album, Don't Rock the Jukebox. The song peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, and number 3 as well on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.
Content
This song was written about Hank Williams, who was from Montgomery, Alabama. It is a mid-tempo, largely acoustic ballad in the key of D minor.
The singer, while heading to Mobile for a New Year's Eve show, makes a visit to a Montgomery grave (Williams died on New Year's Day 1953, and is buried in Montgomery), and encounters the ghost of Williams who thanks him for paying tribute before disappearing. The song also references several Williams hits, including "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." The song ends with the words "Hank's always singing there".
Critical reception
Leeann Ward of Country Universe gave the song an A grade, saying that "the song’s story is fascinating in and of itself, but equally impressive is the recording as a whole package." She goes on to say that "along with the ominous production and chilling story, Jackson’s performance strays from its usual smooth reliability and picks up its own haunting quality, which perfectly adds to the overall darkness of the song."[2]
Music video
The music video was directed by Jim Shea and premiered in April 1992. It went on to win that year's Country Music Association award for Music Video of the Year.
Peak chart positions
"Midnight in Montgomery" debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of April 25, 1992.
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[3] | 3 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[4] | 3 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1992) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[5] | 12 |
| US Country Songs (Billboard)[6] | 27 |
References
- ↑ The Greatest Hits Collection (CD). Alan Jackson. Arista Records. 1995. 07822 18801.
- ↑ Review by Kevin John Coyne
- ↑ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 2010." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. July 25, 1992. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
- ↑ "Alan Jackson – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for Alan Jackson.
- ↑ "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1992". RPM. December 19, 1992. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
- ↑ "Best of 1992: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1992. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
