The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
So small, yet still so proud
At night before he dreams he looks into the clouds
A high-flyer's what I want to be
Seems they won't let me
Says I'm too small
I don't feel small at all
Break my dreams
That's what they'll do
Well, I'm going to run away
And learn to fly like you
I'm going to go so high
And swoop so low
You can't bring me down
Going to be so proud
Oh little angel, you got to learn to fly
Get up and earn your wings tonight
Little angel, just look in my eyes
Get up and earn your wings tonight
Push and shove, then climb aboard
This is the shuttle train to the top of the world
When you look around, what do you see?
These are all high-flyers
But none of these high-flyers look like me
What is that supposed to mean
Oh oh
What am I supposed to be
I pull my way up through this crowd
To find your body crushed on the ground
It's so obvious why couldn't you see
That you can't go high-flying
Without a pair of high-flyer wings?
Oh little one's broken lying on the ground
Trying to get up 'till his last breath out
Wings are strewn everywhere there's blood all around
Even angels die, but that light just fades
It's so sad, but he'd be so proud
Oh, broken angel, you've got to learn to fly
Get up and earn your wings tonight
Broken angel, just look in my eyes
Get up and earn you wings tonight
Get up and earn your wings, earn your wings tonight
At night before he dreams he looks into the clouds
A high-flyer's what I want to be
Seems they won't let me
Says I'm too small
I don't feel small at all
Break my dreams
That's what they'll do
Well, I'm going to run away
And learn to fly like you
I'm going to go so high
And swoop so low
You can't bring me down
Going to be so proud
Oh little angel, you got to learn to fly
Get up and earn your wings tonight
Little angel, just look in my eyes
Get up and earn your wings tonight
Push and shove, then climb aboard
This is the shuttle train to the top of the world
When you look around, what do you see?
These are all high-flyers
But none of these high-flyers look like me
What is that supposed to mean
Oh oh
What am I supposed to be
I pull my way up through this crowd
To find your body crushed on the ground
It's so obvious why couldn't you see
That you can't go high-flying
Without a pair of high-flyer wings?
Oh little one's broken lying on the ground
Trying to get up 'till his last breath out
Wings are strewn everywhere there's blood all around
Even angels die, but that light just fades
It's so sad, but he'd be so proud
Oh, broken angel, you've got to learn to fly
Get up and earn your wings tonight
Broken angel, just look in my eyes
Get up and earn you wings tonight
Get up and earn your wings, earn your wings tonight
Lyrics submitted by chloeleveaux
Broken Angel Lyrics as written by Taylor Hanson Isaac Hanson
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I love how the lyrics keep changing point of views. Sometimes it's in third person then first person. I think that by doing that it shows that this song can relate to any human being who feels like they crash and burn. LIke Sincerity said ... failure but with a sense of being proud since that was one of the main lyrics in the song.
I think there are a lot of ways to interpret this song. I like Shani's idea of the fact that it's about Zac's struggles as the youngest member of the band. But in a way I think it's not about that, because it's a totally sad failure. I think this song is about complete failure... maybe it's what they were thinking as Island rejected song after song? "Break my dreams, that's what they'll do..." I think that definitely fits. Obviously, Hanson felt that all the songs they recorded were good enough for an album, but time and time again Island crushed their dreams.
I think this song is about someone not knowing their own self worth and struggling with something (weather it be depression, an eating disorder, drug abuse, handicap etc) but not being able to realize it yet. Nobody believes in them except the friend watching from the distance....however the angel doesn't have the patience to wait. They try to fix it on themselves and maybe take things too far, and suicide happens.
I also see the song about believing in yourself when others don't. I don't know.
It's beautiful and I love the different point-of-views and the voice. AH! It makes me cry.
To me, this song is, very simply, about failure. I don't think I need to explain too much further. shrug
Zac wrote the song. I think, in general, that because he is the youngest, he is expressing how he tends to feel inferior sometimes. I mean, the poor kid has to fight for recognition and for people to take him seriously because their first record came out when he was 11. It's like half of the world doesn't realize that he's not 11 anymore.
this song is gorgeous and my fav off the album not only does zac have an amazin voice (best out of all 3 of them i think ) but the way he sings it aswell he just rli truely means it doesn't he and u can tell its real ps zac rocks my sox rite off my feet n in2 space woohoo hes so prefect!!!!!!!!
i totally agree with the whole failiure and just you have to live to let go and just learn your lesson and "earn your wings" and just there are always going to be people who "break your dreams" but you just have to live it
It's about a lawn ornamant used as a methaphor.
Its about failure. Deep failure. Failing, but still being proud.
Zac said in one interview that it was about Taylor. He then took that comment back, but it stuck with me. Taylor went through a lot of crap in his life at the same time - marriage, leaving one label and starting his own, a baby, and a new record. That's a hell of a lot of stress for someone who was under 20 at the time.