Midnight in Montgomery

"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
Recorded	August 21, 1990
Genre	Country
Length	3:46
Label	Arista 12418
Songwriter(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 Alan Jackson and Don Sampson, and recorded 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 (the album's only single not to top the chart), and number 3 as well on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.

In August 2020, Josh Turner recorded a cover version of "Midnight In Montgomery" on his album Country State of Mind.

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 was filmed in black and white under a full moon amidst the headstones of an empty cemetery. It went on to win that year's Country Music Association award for Music Video of the Year. They had to record the video twice, in the first take, there was a shadow that wasn't supposed to be in the video.

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.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ [1]^{[permanent dead link]} 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 (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
^ "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.

External links[]

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

[Hits-1] The Greatest Hits Collection (CD). Alan Jackson. Arista Records. 1995. 07822 18801.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[2] [1]^{[permanent dead link]} Review by Kevin John Coyne

[sc_Canadacountry_-3] "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 2010." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. July 25, 1992. Retrieved August 15, 2013.

[sc_Billboardcountrysongs_Alan_Jackson-4] "Alan Jackson Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.

[5] "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1992". RPM. December 19, 1992. Retrieved August 15, 2013.

[6] "Best of 1992: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1992. Retrieved August 15, 2013.

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show v t Alan Jackson singles
Here in the Real World	"Here in the Real World" "Wanted" "Chasin' That Neon Rainbow" "I'd Love You All Over Again"
Don't Rock the Jukebox	"Don't Rock the Jukebox" "Someday" "Dallas" "Midnight in Montgomery" "Love's Got a Hold on You"
A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'bout Love)	"She's Got the Rhythm (And I Got the Blues)" "Tonight I Climbed the Wall" "Chattahoochee" "Mercury Blues" "(Who Says) You Can't Have It All"
Who I Am	"Summertime Blues" "Livin' on Love" "Gone Country" "Song for the Life" "I Don't Even Know Your Name"
The Greatest Hits Collection	"Tall, Tall Trees" "I'll Try" "Home"
Everything I Love	"Little Bitty" "Everything I Love" "Who's Cheatin' Who" "There Goes" "Between the Devil and Me" "A House with No Curtains"
High Mileage	"I'll Go On Loving You" "Right on the Money" "Gone Crazy" "Little Man"
Under the Influence	"Pop a Top" "The Blues Man" "It Must Be Love"
When Somebody Loves You	"www.memory" "When Somebody Loves You" "Where I Come From" "It's Alright to Be a Redneck"
Drive	"Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" "Drive (For Daddy Gene)" "Work in Progress" "That'd Be Alright"
Greatest Hits Volume II	"It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" (w/ Jimmy Buffett) "Remember When"
What I Do	"Too Much of a Good Thing" "Monday Morning Church" "The Talkin' Song Repair Blues" "USA Today"
Like Red on a Rose	"Like Red on a Rose" "A Woman's Love"
Good Time	"Small Town Southern Man" "Good Time" "Country Boy" "Sissy's Song" "I Still Like Bologna"
Freight Train	"It's Just That Way" "Hard Hat and a Hammer"
34 Number Ones	"Ring of Fire"
Thirty Miles West	"Long Way to Go" "So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore" "You Go Your Way"
Other songs	"Tequila Sunrise" "A Good Year for the Roses" (w/ George Jones) "Redneck Games" (w/ Jeff Foxworthy) "Margaritaville" (w/ Jimmy Buffett) "Murder on Music Row" (w/ George Strait) "Designated Drinker" (w/ George Strait) "Hey, Good Lookin'" (w/ Jimmy Buffett, Clint Black, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith and George Strait) "You Ain't Just Whistlin' Dixie" (w/ The Bellamy Brothers) "As She's Walking Away" (w/ Zac Brown Band)
See also	Singles discography

show v t CMA Video of the Year
1985-1990	"All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight" (1985) "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes" (1986) "My Name is Bocephus" (1987) "There's a Tear in My Beer" (1989) "The Dance" (1990)
1991-2000	"The Thunder Rolls" (1991) "Midnight in Montgomery" (1992) "Chattahoochee" (1993) "Independence Day" (1994) "Baby Likes to Rock It" (1995) "My Wife Thinks You're Dead" (1996) "455 Rocket" (1997) "This Kiss" (1998) "Wide Open Spaces" (1999) "Goodbye Earl" (2000)
2001-2010	"Born to Fly" (2001) "I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)" (2002) "Hurt" (2003) "Whiskey Lullaby" (2004) "As Good as I Once Was" (2005) "Believe" (2006) "Online" (2007) "Waitin' on a Woman" (2008) "Love Story" (2009) "The House That Built Me" (2010)
2011-2020	"You and Tequila" (2011) "Red Solo Cup" (2012) "Highway Don't Care" (2013) "Drunk on a Plane" (2014) "Girl in a Country Song" (2015) "Fire Away" (2016) "It Ain't My Fault" (2017) "Marry Me" (2018) "Rainbow" (2019) "Bluebird" (2020)