This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Standing on the backs of angels
Destined to create
Mounting the attack
While heroes carry your weight
We spiral towards disaster
Survival fading faster
Riding out the wave
Content to feed off the machine
Bleeding us to death
The new American dream
You're blinded by your hunger
Beware your days are numbered
Tears fall from the shameless
Shelter me, guide me to the edge of the water
Selfless are the righteous
Burden me, lead me like a lamb to the slaughter
Blurring lines drawn in between
What is right and what is wrong
Victims on the radar string us along
We're on to your agenda
The dead end road to nowhere
Tears fall from the shameless
Shelter me, guide me to the edge of the water
Selfless are the righteous
Burden me, lead me like a lamb to the slaughter
Tears fall from the shameless
Shelter me, guide me to the edge of the water
Selfless are the righteous
Burden me, lead me like a lamb to the slaughter
Selfless are the righteous
Burden me, lead me like a lamb to the slaughter
Destined to create
Mounting the attack
While heroes carry your weight
We spiral towards disaster
Survival fading faster
Riding out the wave
Content to feed off the machine
Bleeding us to death
The new American dream
You're blinded by your hunger
Beware your days are numbered
Tears fall from the shameless
Shelter me, guide me to the edge of the water
Selfless are the righteous
Burden me, lead me like a lamb to the slaughter
Blurring lines drawn in between
What is right and what is wrong
Victims on the radar string us along
We're on to your agenda
The dead end road to nowhere
Tears fall from the shameless
Shelter me, guide me to the edge of the water
Selfless are the righteous
Burden me, lead me like a lamb to the slaughter
Tears fall from the shameless
Shelter me, guide me to the edge of the water
Selfless are the righteous
Burden me, lead me like a lamb to the slaughter
Selfless are the righteous
Burden me, lead me like a lamb to the slaughter
Lyrics submitted by 2006200720082009
On the Backs of Angels Lyrics as written by John Petrucci John Myung
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
It's about the 2008 financial crisis in general, and the TARP bailout in particular.
The "angels" are the 99% (i.e., working folks) and the "shameless" protagonists are the bankers who caused the mess by "standing on the backs of angels" and "feed[ing] off the machine"
"tears fall from the shameless" is a reference to the crocodile tears of the heads of JP Morgan etc looking for federal bailout money. that's the "shelter me, guide me to the edge of the water" (i.e., get me to safe land.
The selfless/righteous angels are "burdened" with the bailouts because their taxes pay for it all.
...
I'm quite sure this is the main reason it was nominated for a Grammy. Wall Street is perhaps the one industry Hollywood fancies itself more noble than.