Angel from Montgomery

John Prine wrote the song for his self-titled 1971 album, picturing a middle-aged woman standing over the dishwater who wants an angel to take her away. Bonnie Koloc recorded it in 1972 and John Denver in 1973, but Raitt's version on Streetlights in 1974 was the one that first brought the song wide recognition. In a 2000 interview she said she thought it probably meant more to her fans and her body of work than any other song.

She sang it with Prine in 1985 at a tribute concert for Steve Goodman, and at Farm Aid on 22 September 1985 with Rickie Lee Jones. It is the finale of the live Road Tested (1995), where she is joined by Bryan Adams, Jackson Browne, Bruce Hornsby and Kim Wilson. Rolling Stone ranked the song No. 350 on its 2021 list.