| Willie Nelson – Seven Spanish Angels Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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This song is, obviously, filled with Biblical imagery, and most of it comes from the Book of Revelations. He looked down into her brown eyes, Said, " Say a prayer for me." She threw her arms around him, Whispered, "God will keep us free." And they could hear the riders comin, He said, "This is my last fight. If they take me back to Texas, They won't take me back alive." The first stanza is clearly just setting the tone, though line 2, 4, and 5 set the religious overtone. Line 5, saying "could hear the riders", refers not only to the enemy army, but also to the riders in the book of revelations. The four horsemen, bringing all sorts of death and destruction with them. And there were seven Spanish Angels, At the alter of the Sun. The 7 angels and an allusion to the 7 angels in Revelations, who undo the 7 seals of heaven, and release the 7 judgments upon the world. In this context, it clearly foreshadows the tragic end of the two lovers. The alter of the sun may be a reference to a place, but Sun always refers to God. Altar is most likely church. They were prayin' for the lovers, In the valley of the gun. Valley of the gun most likely refers to Psalm 23, which contains the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Despite the fact that the 7 angels destroy most of the world in Revelations, their true purpose is to save those deemed worthy to get into God's kingdom. In the context of the song, the angels here are most likely priests, or fellow townsmen/women. And when the battle stopped, And the smoke cleared. There was thunder from the throne. And seven Spanish angels, Took another angel home. The throne refers to God, which in Revelations is constantly mentioned that God alone sits atop a throne in heaven. The 7 angels taking the other angel home clearly means the male at the start of the song died, but did so in battle and righteously. He is saved, so to speak, by the angels. She reached down and picked the gun up, That lay smokin in his hand. Said, "Father please forgive me, I can't make it without my man." Suicide is, as nearly everyone knows, a sin. Hence the beg for forgiveness. Also, if she were to succeed and forgiven, she would make it into heaven, though it would be unlikely to happen, as in Revelations God is very stern and saves only the most loyal to him. And she knew the gun was empty, And she knew she couldn't win. But her final prayer was answered, When the rifles fired again. But, it does not say that she fired. She knew the gun was empty, and that she could not win. So therefore, she most likely did not attempt it. As a result of this metaphorical test of faith, God rewards her by giving her final wish. And as death may seem like a funny reward, remember that those left living suffered in hellfire, whereas those that died right away were saved, allowed to live forever in the Kingdom of Heaven. On the surface, this song is about two star crossed lovers during, most likely, the Mexican War. It uses far more religious allusions, however, than one would even think. Also, it has a good beat. |
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