You sounded so good on the phone
All moved up and all moved on
Me and gravity, we never could agree
But I can almost see the sky
When I need to, I close me eyes
You're the only thing that's worth holding on to

Angel you sing about beautiful things
And all I want to do is believe
But I traded my dreams for this mess of memories
And they just stopped working for me

Now I'm not a monster
I believe like a liar would believe
Helps me navigate the wooden smiles, the raging seas
And all my heroes pull their heads
Like a fighter would, I guess
No one ever really likes getting older

Angel you sing about beautiful things
And all I want to do is believe
But I traded my dreams for this mess of memories
And they just stopped working for me


Lyrics submitted by skeeter688

Angel Lyrics as written by Matt Nathanson Mark Weinberg

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Angel song meanings
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  • +1
    General Comment

    "you sounded so good on the phone all moved up and all moved on me and gravity we never could agree I can almost see the sky when I need to close my eyes you're the only thing that's worth holding on to"

    He talks to her again after a while, shes moved on her her life hes trying to move up too but gravity brings him down he can remember everything when he closes his eyes, like the calm of looking into the sky she was the only one worth holding onto.

    "angel you sing about beautiful things and all I want to do is believe I traded my dreams for this mess of memories and they just stoped working for me"

    she says beautiful things but they're lies, all he wants to do is believe, but he moves on, trading his dreams of a future, for memories because he cant take it. but everything stops working for him.

    "I'm not a monster I believe like a liar would believe helps me navigate the wooden smiles, the raging sea all my heroes pull their heads like a fighter would I guess no one really ever likes getting older"

    he thinks he did the right thing, unlike wat a liar (her) would beleive and he stopped talking to her to help navigate wooden smiles r fake smiles, raging seas im guessing is inner turmoil heros pulling heads i see as friends wondering why hes stuck over her no one really ever likes getting older, growing up, being hurt.

    i relate this song a lot to my ex who's name was angel and i broke up w because i couldnt take it. a beautiful song.

    killercow91on February 27, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Great great song. Beautiful. All I want to do is believe...

    Robynon April 13, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I saw this song performed live and it was even more beautiful watching Matt put all of his emotions into it. It was a truly great peformance.

    jtalexon January 03, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this is such a great song.. I think he was with a chick and she moved on promising to one day come back.. and he is sitting there putting his life on hold waiting for her. Even tho he realizes she's gone.

    Looon September 12, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    pretty pretty!

    summervolcomstarson October 29, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    its hard for me to figure it out..i somewhat agree with Loo...but i dont think he's waiting...like when he says he traded his dreams for the memories and they stopped working for him..maybe it means he was waiting but finally the memories arent enough and he's moving on too..just not as easily..."no one ever really likes getting older"..but it has to be done? you have to move on?! who knows but it's beautiful

    moemoekeekeeon January 09, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I listened to Beneath These Fireworks a ton after a painful breakup to a long and meaningful relationship and I was amazed by how much I could relate to so many of the songs on the album. In this song for example, just the way it starts, "you sounded so good on the phone, all moved up and all moved on," well, I tried to stay good friends with my ex (we're actually very good friends today), and we would have dinner together and I would talk to him, and it seemed like he had everything figured out, he had moved on past me and his life was so much better now. Whereas for me, well, I had trouble getting my life together, and while I could see a better future if I closed my eyes, I wanted to hold on so badly. I valued our friendship so much so he was the only thing worth holding onto.

    At the same time, he would talk about how things would get better given time, and I felt like I wanted to believe everything he said, but I had made a lot of sacrifices for him, including my friends, and all I had left were the mess of memories of us being together. And those memories were enough for me anymore, not enough to keep me happy. It was also at that point that I realized I was older, that I had spent years with one person and I was no longer a kid anymore. I went even went through an old maid crisis. =)

    It is such a beautiful song. And Matt is amazing in concert. I saw him 2 nights in a row recently and each night was completely different (unlike his opening acts who told the same jokes, did the same improvs). Definitely one of the most talented and most entertaining musicians out there.

    alterntivgirlon January 09, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song is one of the best i've ever heard. It's so meaningful, i can listen to it over and over again. I've heard rave reviews about his concerts, and i would love to see him live someday.

    Scheff6989on March 12, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    hey guys i actually just got back from matts show...... AMAZING!!!!!!!!! wow! anyways he said that this song is about a girl (sorry i cant remember her name) and she sings a song called beautiful things and he jsut loves the song so much that he in turn wrote a song about her singing said song. confusing yes... but beautiful all the same. and live is so much better than anything ive ever experienced. i swear if you ever get a remote chance in hell to go... take it

    cristy1622on September 27, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Seems like he was drunk. Like a drunken phone call to an old-love.

    "you sounded so good on the phone all moved up and all moved on me and gravity we never could agree I can almost see the sky when I need to close my eyes you're the only thing that's worth holding on to"

    gmitch56on November 28, 2006   Link

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