Angel Lyrics & Video
Sarah McLachlan See albums and popular songs
Spend all your time waiting
For that second chance
For a break that would make it okay
There's always some reason
To feel not good enough
And it's hard at the end of the day
I need some distraction
Oh beautiful release
Memories seep from my veins
Let me be empty
Oh and weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight
In the arms of the angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here
So tired of the straight line
And everywhere you turn
There's vultures and thieves at your back
The storm keeps on twisting
Keep on building the lies
That you make up for all that you lack
It don't make no difference
Escaping one last time
It's easier to believe
In this sweet madness
Oh this glorious sadness
That brings me to my knees
In the arms of the angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here
Correct lyrics / view previous versions
Thanks to Ruth Anne for submitting the lyrics.
Part of These Albums
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- Remixed
- Surfacing
- Surfacing/Solace
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Popular Songs
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Video
Angel: Angel (video from YouTube)
85 Reviews/Comments for this song Skip to latest
thanks and i really appreciate it.Godbless
i really appreciate.Thanks
I know this sounds morbid and depressing, but I think the song is about suicide. The person in the song is tired of suffering, he/she wants to end the pain, and be "released" from it all.
The song means this to me: When you've done all you can to create a better life for yourself, you're working hard, pretending to be someone you're not inside, feeling alone, then realize there's a greater Power you can put your faith in. You can finally get some sleep.
The song is about her father who passed away.
This song was written for the Smashing Pumpkins drummer who ODed on heroin and died in a hotel room in the early 90s
I heard this at my cousin's funeral and it made me sad and glad at the same time. I've requested it be played at my funeral too.
sarah is right.. its about a herion od..
I looooovvvveee this song. We have to sing it 4 our performance music group performancy thing.... Im playing the alto part. I love to sing this so too... and i think i might have it played at my funeral 2 its a good funeral song
i loveee this song! it relaxs me and makes me happy, alm and peaceful!!!
This song is so cool and believe it or not i am a punk rocker!!!
definitely about the escape sought in any addiction.
in honor and memory of a human being that truely made a conscious choice every day to make his life extraordinary-this song was the first thing that came to my mind today when i heard the terrible news surely felt by millions around the world,that Steve Irwin,The Crocodile Hunter had been killed by a sting from a stingray.
This song has alot of meaning to me... it was played at my grandfathers funeral when i was younger. I feel that this song can be taken different ways, i think its about having faith and believing that there is another side that is peaceful and happy all the time (heaven).
This song always warms my heart when i hear it thank youi love this song and if my school has a talent show this year then i might sing this song for the show!!! i love this song!!!
I love this song its beautiful sarah is so talented and i would love this song to be played at my funeral. It has so much meaning to it and so peaceful but sad at the same time.
this is the most heart felt and gorgus song i have ever herd, it makes me cry, laugh, happy ,sad and every possible other emotion. it is such a meaningful and deep song and i belive that every individual can change it to how they wish to see it. i no it is about an OD and all but wen i listen to it i really hear about a deep underlying sadness and self hatred that i feel, it touches me and helps me get through those times. XXXX this is my fav song of all time ;P
What do you think is meant by the line
"You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent revie"The word reverie means pleasant daydream but obviously that's not the context here. It seems like a fantasically powerful lyric but I dont think I really get it.
p.s it's a beautiful song
what i feel pulled from the wreckage of your silent revie is that the song is about a addict and the addict dying is being freed of all thought and warped guilt that they thought was theres and kept it to themselves as abuse of any form is the fuel of any one caught up in addiction .rip for all deceased addict and god bless anyone in the throes of addiction ,hang in there.
i think its about a drug overtake about the reverie of the persons own silent pary! it is a beautiful song but and when my granny passed away i just started thinking of it constantly sarahs very talented and i would love it as my funeral song but like the drug bits reverbed! beautiful song from a beautiful singer!xXx
Yes, reverie means pleasant daydream, but this is the WRECKAGE of that daydream, and being pulled from it by the arms of an angel...get it? Read the words!
i love it,im a former user and it means to me that its not hopeless when u quit drugs.the line"arms of an angel"means to me that there is hope 4 all of us.just look beyond urself.
whenever i hear this song i think of my older brother and uncle that died and it always makes me cry and i want to sing it for the talent show but i might just breakdown thank you so much for making this song.. i love it
This song means so much to me. It was played at my Mam's funeral. I sang it two weeks after she died in my school concert. It was also played at my beloved English teahcer's funeral.
it's a good song, it reminds me of alot..
but it's a very beautiful song, for sure.I was thinking of having this song sung at my wedding during the lighting of a memorial candle (for all the family & friends lost before)....do you think this is appropriate since may of you state that you heard it at/during a funeral?
This is a very very beautiful song. There is a girl at my church who sings this song for us ever Sunday! This song is very beautiful. And touching
I felt what she felt and saw what she saw. When you are in an angelic presence and you see heaven open it is like nothing you have ever seen or felt before. and the feeling changes you. I restores faith.i now read the bible with new eyes
I believe the song is about someone who is a drug abuser. Where she says, it don't make no difference, escaping one last time. If you've ever had a problem with drugs you would understand that line. There's always one last time. So you think.
This song means so much to me and now brings tears to my eyes. It's gorgeous.
I hadn't really read the lyrics until today -- it was on my mind for some reason. I agree it's about drug addiction. As a former drug addict who survived an accidental overdose and a suicide attempt, I can only say that it is an incredibly eloquent and beautiful song. In three days I'll have 25 years clean and sober, and this song just made me sob and weep with its beauty. I, too, want it played at my funeral.
I recently lost an exboyfriend due to a heroin overdose.The other day I came across pics that he left at my house.I've been a wreck since then because I think I'm finally grieving over him.I prayed to God and to my ex for a sign that he was at peace and no longer hurting.Needless to say I picked a Sarah Mclauglin song out of the blue, not realizing this song was about someone dying of an overdose. When reading the words I realized this was my sign. Leo may you rest in peace and you are still my world. Finally you can rest now.
As i hear this song play i remember my boyfriend. i called him when he was listenin to it and he was sayin how much he wanted us to be together, watching the stars and keepin each other warm as we listen to the waves crash on the rocks.
So...I got to reading these comments and they just made me more and more confused. This song is about an addict who suffered from a drug overdose and unless your loved one went through that I don't know why you'd want it played at their funeral and certainly not at you wedding or at church every sunday. It really bothers me that people hear the word angel and automatically assume this song has any religious back ground. It's a good song but it's used incorrectly.
The song touches me because my darkness, my reason for not feeling ok, my wreckage, was a 20 year marriage. After my decision to leave.... I felt the vultures and theives at my back for sure. But I have met someone who loves me as no other...someone with whom I understand comfort and peace. It's in the arms of that angel that I fly away. He holds me and makes me whole again.
Everytime I hear that song I am thankful again and again for my angel. My salvation.All art, including music, speaks to each person differently; it is in the eye, or ear, of the beholder. I understand and empathize with what Reb said, and am glad for her that she has found her angel. Anyone who has lost their dreams through divorce can attest to the "endlessness that you feel" especially at "the end of the day." Mine was a 25 year marriage, and I'm still "waiting for that second chance, for a break that will make it okay." In the meantime, this is a beautiful song that has touched me deeply; it is sad, but hopeful.
Beautiful song, the words mean so much to so many.
just perfect!!!
As a former drug abuser, I know what this song is about. When she talks about how you find a reason at the end of the day to feel not good enough, this in turn enables you to do your drug again. Even though you hate the drug, you still feel comfort from it ,that's what she means by it don't make no difference escaping one last time. You wish the whole time that someone would come and rescue you, an angel maybe? I don't know how I lived through some of the things I've done, I know someone protected me, or I wouldn't be here writing this message.
this song can mean any thing 4 any one the truth is every''one''has a thorn in them so no matter how you look at this song it is wrote to touch hearts ''no'' not religous but spritual ''yes'' there are all kinds of addictions and sooner or later we will all be in the arms of an angel ''angels'' are here now for those of us that have been blessed enough to realize it but the day will come that each and every one will be escorted to our heavenly father by an angel to answer for our lives on this earth
My children just lost their father who took his life. My marriage to him ended 10 years ago.This song was played at the memorial and I find it so telling that it was his favorite. We had no idea he was in such darkness. He had to have felt hopeless to leave his loved ones behind. I think this song is exactly how he must have felt-backed up against a wall of lies and feeling like he could never make things right. He needed peace with the angels. This song is of tragedy and heartache but it is also strangely peaceful and beautifully sung.
my best friend of 25 yrs, her brother died right when this song was popular in february,14,1999 8 years ago today. the song is playing in my mind right now and i haven't heard it in 8 years.
Food for thought…about the lyrics…I always try to see where God is in them, if he’s not, then it seems like a story about addictions, escaping reality and failures, centered on ourselves and our inability to trust and grow…because God is Everywhere and without Him we are Nowhere!
These songs are special because they are spiritual prayers to me.
when i hear this song, i think about eating disorders.. probably because i have been trough it.. and i know thats not what its actually about, but i think others with any kind of ED would agree..
but i truly love this song! i listen to punk/rock/metal..usually.. but i love this one anyway!
its amazing how this song made me survive every night sitting in my room being miserable.. ! its just beautiful! i'm going to sing it on my audition when attending to high schoolThis song is just one that a person can apply to any struggle in their life. I love this song, it gives me hope of overcoming struggles in everyday life, and the hope of staying clean and sober for another 12 years. The man I love the most in this world asked me to listen to this song. He is currently taking care of wreckage from his past in Prison. I know how cold and lonely that is. To him I have to say keep your head up, and know it is almost over and you never have to repeat history again. You are loved and can overcome anything with your angel.
This song was played at my grannys funeral . I choosen this song because this is want my granny was an angel to me and the rest of my family. Thisong give me a lot of comfort to no that now she in the arms of the angels. thank you granny i love you lots.
i first heard this song late one night, on the way to the airport to rent a car and drive home. i had just gotten word that my ex husband, my best friend, had died. i didn't hear all the words but the phrase on the wings of an angel stuck with me and i had to believe it was a sign that he was in a better place. dennis, i will love you forever.
5 April 2007
The fact this song has become a standard for funerals, weddings, regular Sunday morning services is a reflection disturbs me greatly.
Because it has 'angel' in it does not mean it is angelic in either meaning or intent. The 'arms of the angel' in this song is the euphoria of heroin. This is NOT about the spiritual beings we call angels.Let's keep this song in its proper perspective and stop oversentimentalizing it and using it for every occasion which should be one of celebration of life for this song is ultimately about despair and death.
ApertusSum
Actually Angel was written about an addict who odD in LA. Thus "arms of the ANGEL." Sarah is a musical goddess and has touched so many lives through her powerfull lyrics and style. As an example to all of us she has shown herself to be an enviornmental and political heroine by taking a much needed stand.
"Burnt from the wreckage of your silent reverie"...I know that a "reverie" is a pleasant daydream but what she's saying is that his "reverie" was not actually peaceful, his "daydreams" were actually his highs from when he was on drugs and they eventually hurt/burnt him. They were a wreck and they destroyed his life. The angels lifted him out of the hell that his "daydreams" were.
I never comprehended that that this was a about an addict who od'd. It just made me think of my mother who passed away and made me think that she was in a better place (in the arms of the angels). It's a beautiful song and I just want to think that she's in a better place with less pain. She didn't have an easy life but she did the best that she new how. And I will never stop missing her.
I love this song, it always reminds me of my baby niece, who was still born at 22 weeks with spina bifida and water on the brain. It was played at her funeral. Her name was Aaliegha Knott. She will be missed
the lyrics have a few mistakes in them. i have the sarah mclaughlin sheet music book and instead of:
And the airlessness that you fear
You are burnt from the wreckageit is actually :
And the endlessness that you fear
you are pulled fromthe wreckagejust thought i'd share that :)
im singing this son in the talent show w/ my friend playing the piano. it wont be nearly as good as sarah, but we;ll try ahhathis song was played at my nans funeral. it means so much to me. i do want it played at my funeral to. when i listen to it at night, i cry. but i know my nan will always be here in my heart! i love you nan xx
R.I.P chelc nan..this song is the most depressin but wounderful song eva x lurv yah all x
I always thought this song was about a man finding something in his mistress that he is not getting from his wife. He meets her in a hotel room and it is sweet but sad at the same time because neither of them can complete him. He's not sure what is right anymore, if anything.
the sheet music is wrong Emily. I have every Sarah Cd. They all clearly state the lyrics printed on this site Are correct.
This song was sung at my cousin's funeral.
When i hear this song i get very upset.But
i know she's safe and she's happy.I will
miss you sara and i love you xoxoxoSarah,
Your music is amazing, especially this song it was played at my grandmas funeral along with many of your other your songs. Have you ever felt like you wanted one of those moments just to think back and remember all the goodtimes you had w/ that special someone well I have and I listen to this song every time to because me and my grandmother used to sing it together! I love your music!
Thanks,
Haley
this is the most beautiful song ever.
it makes you feel like everything is ok and that your safe.
xoxSarah is such a beautiful artist. She speaks in such large volumes. All of her songs carry meaning and touch my life in different ways.
A friend sent me some beautiful pictures of mountains, sunsets & etc. Angel was the background music. I had never heard it, I asked who it was and played it. I have never read or cared about the lyrics. Like other's I'm recovering from a 32 yr marriage and divorce. The beautiful way Sarah sings Angel, it is a soulful, restful, haunting song that soothes the trouble mind and heart..GREAT listing for the lonely.
i love this song.. im doing a school assignment on it.. it makes me feel good when i listen to it...
i love sarah!xx
This is like the best song ever! I don't agrre about the suicidal theory but it is about someone dying and going to heaven. I think the dark hotel room represents of how terrible the world has gotten with all of it's sin. So this person gets to escape and go live with jesus. So in away I wish I were them,but we all have one chance to live our lives the way it should be. So make the best of what you've got and god bless!^_^
awwh..=] diz son iz fab.. i sang it @ my grandads funeral.. evrytime i hear it i cry..=[
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xthis song was played at my grandmas funeral.i love it soooo much and it expresses how she felt when she was on her death bed. this song is very sad but it makes me happy to hear it because i think of her..god bless her..
When i first heard this song, i was seven years old. It was pouring down raining as my mom and I were in the car. She heard this song on the radio,and she told me it was her favorite song. She said she loved the lyrics and Sarah's voice. My mother died when i was eight years old. Listening to this song, helps me relive the memories that me and my mom shared. Every time i listen to it, my mind goes back to that day. It's a really good song, and i love it too.
this song is about a heroin addiction.
This song will always make me cry. My wife and I had a tormented marriage but we loved each other very much. I don't think we ever realized how much until she was diagnosed with cancer. I heard this song the day after she died and I completely lost it, as I am doing right now just writing this message.
this song was actually written for guitarist Tim Kelly of the band Slaughter after he died in a car accident, hance the lyrics 'you were PULLED from the wreckage'
This is an absolutely amazing song!!! Disregard what the song is about or for whom it was written. How the music and the lyrics impact YOU and how YOU use it to get through whatever YOUR trials may be is whats important. The fact no one seems to know the whole story behind the song means the purpose must not have been widely publicized and therefore hints to the idea that this beautiful song was meant to be enjoyed by everyone for whatever their reasons may be. Ease up on the debate and just enjoy the range of emotions this song brings. Peace and love to all.
BDM-RIP ^j^ CI think this is about a very old and sad prostitute
who realizes she has pulled her last trick. She knows she doesnt have the strenght or will to continue this life and ends it all in a motel room with noone by her side but the Angels.This song will always make me cry! It is beautiful!
I HAD THIS SONG PLAYED AT THE UNTIMLEY DEATH OF MY FIANCE, I FIND GREAT COMFORT IN IT, ITS MEANING IS VAST. HE WAS A RACE CAR DRIVER AND DID NOT DIE IN A RACE, BUT IT SO REMINDED ME AND HIS RACING YEARS. HE WAS 55 YEARS OLD AND DIED SUDDENLY OF A BRAIN BLEED. THIS SONG HAS GIVEN ME COMFORT, AND SOLACE, AND I KNOW ALL OF HIS PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL PAIN DIED WITH HIM, AND HE IS TRULY WAITING FOR ME, WHEN IT IS MY TURN. GOD BLESS
this song has touched me in a way that nothing has ever touched me before! when i listen to this song i feel like i am in the arms of an angel. when my mother died because she was raped gutted and had her skin turned inside out this song was played at the funeral and i saw an angel rise above her casket. so that means that sarah mclaughlan is in fact an angel of god and in my eyes. I LOVE YOU SARAH PLEASE TOUCH ME MORE
This song sucks and she touched me and i did not like it.
This song really makes me cry because my granddad passed away nt to long ago
Lyrics as posted on the Sarah McLaughlan website (sarahmclachlan.com/discography/lyrics.jsp?song_id=40)
"from this dark cold hotel room
and the endlessness that you fear
you are pulled from the wreckage
of your silent reverie"(it would seem there is a mistake in the lyrics as posted originally here)
I hope we can all make our lives happier.
My Father just passe 1 week ago today and my mother waited 16 years to welcom him and now he's in the arms of his angel
My Father just passed 1 week ago today and my mother waited 16 years to welcome him and NOW he's in the arms of his angel
i love god. and this makes me feel closer to him. i want him to fuck me. i love god. hes my sexy beast
im in yr 11 n for my exam i will b doin this song it means so much to me... when i listen to this song it just reminds me of the ppl ive lost but also reminds me of wat i hav... this song is perfect in every way.. i love the lines, "Keep on building the lies,
That you make up for all that you lack.. thank you sarah for singin this song... xoxoI am absolutely blown away by the timeless beauty of this piece. Sarah's aluring vocals coupled with the soft dignity of the musical accompaniment breaths life into the songs powerful words. It stirs my soul. Absolutely beautiful! I hope to sing alongside Sarah one day. That would be absolutely amazing !
I was never a drug addict, prostitute, someone who od'd, etc., but a normal everyday person who lost everything in the snap of a finger, lost everything.
Have any of you lived in a hotel room, that was were you lived? Because you had no choice, at least at the time you didn't believe you had one? Being stuck with no where to go and no one to help you? Being with someone that you believed was your partner only to be your enemy? The days and nights, months and years of endless dreaming of a normal life? Like when you were a kid? When you were loved? But you can't turn to anyone for fear of being chastised? Not thinking of suicide, just hope to get you though. I cry so much when I hear this song (even now) it somehow got me through the dark years. I kept waiting for things to get right, the worst happened- but then what could be worse - living in a hotel, lying to my family and friends about the reality of my life, losing almost of all my savings, then I lost my job. But then only to get a better job, I have my own home now. I finally realized the person I thought was my lifelong partner wasn't, but I am ok with. I love my life with my gardens, my peace, and my life. I got my second chance.
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