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.
At last we meet again, dear god
When the angels sing
The funeral's are nicer, when we know you're there
And the angels sing
Sometimes I try so hard to understand the things you do
Who am I to question you when it all comes down
Hear the angels sing
Stand up strong feel the pain
When the angels sing
Love and death don't mean a thing
Till the angels sing
The prisoners pray when they're on death row
When the angels sing
The junkie cries for love, but its all run out
When the angels sing
The sins of the world, and its cold on the streets and you're all alone
And the tears they start to fall when it all comes down
Hear the angels sing
Stand up strong feel the pain
When the angels sing
Love and death don't mean a thing
Till the angels sing
Little by little, day by day
Watch the children play
Cause life and death don't mean a thing
Till the angels sing
When the angel of death, comes a looking for me
Hear the angels sing
I hope I was everything I was supposed to be
When the angels sing
There's gotta be a heaven, cause I've already done my time in hell
And a little babies bawl, when it all comes down
Hear the angels sing
Little by little, day by day
Watch the children play
Cause life and death don't mean a thing
Till the angels sing
When the angels sing
The funeral's are nicer, when we know you're there
And the angels sing
Sometimes I try so hard to understand the things you do
Who am I to question you when it all comes down
Hear the angels sing
Stand up strong feel the pain
When the angels sing
Love and death don't mean a thing
Till the angels sing
The prisoners pray when they're on death row
When the angels sing
The junkie cries for love, but its all run out
When the angels sing
The sins of the world, and its cold on the streets and you're all alone
And the tears they start to fall when it all comes down
Hear the angels sing
Stand up strong feel the pain
When the angels sing
Love and death don't mean a thing
Till the angels sing
Little by little, day by day
Watch the children play
Cause life and death don't mean a thing
Till the angels sing
When the angel of death, comes a looking for me
Hear the angels sing
I hope I was everything I was supposed to be
When the angels sing
There's gotta be a heaven, cause I've already done my time in hell
And a little babies bawl, when it all comes down
Hear the angels sing
Little by little, day by day
Watch the children play
Cause life and death don't mean a thing
Till the angels sing
Lyrics submitted by toterkater
When the Angels Sing Lyrics as written by Michael Ness
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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truly a great... shows some of the spiritual questions everyone struggles with... even with all the crappy christian music out now, very few songs written about God can dare to touch the honesty of this one.
"The primary focus of the album is a mixture of feelings, from the deeply personal 'When the Angels Sing', a heartfelt homage from frontman Mike Ness to his late grandmother (whom would even wear the band's t-shirts while shopping in support of her grandson) …"
punknews.org/review/1510/social-distortion-white-light-white-heat-white-trash
Mike Ness wrote the song after his grandmother passed away. It isn't really so much about her as it is about how no matter what you believe, you'll never have definitive answers until you die yourself.
"...life and death don't mean a thing Till the angels sing." - you can believe whatever you'd like, but nothing really has any meaning for anyone until "the angels sing" - you die. Answers aren't really available until then.
Mike says he hopes he was everything he was supposed to be - he hopes so because he doesn't know exactly what he was supposed to be and nothing has any real, tangible meaning until after death. There's much that even people of faith don't understand - prisoners on death row pray, junkies cry for love but can't get any, and it's cold on the street when you're all alone. No one can really understand the why until "the angels sing".
this song...shows a diffrent side of mike ness...makes me want him even more~:)
Social D played this song when I went to their show last year, and after it was over, Mike pointed to a kid that couldn't have been more than 7 years old and asked him to come on stage. Some of the elders in the crowd started laughing and pointing and shit...and then Mike began explaining how "This child will carry on the messages of our generation. All you older people out there need not pull the superiority-granted-by-age shit, because this child can't help how old he is. This child is our future, and rather than expel him, we must accept and teach him." Stuff like that. Almost brought me to tears. Mike Ness is truly a great man.
that is fucking awsome all hail mike ness
I agree with HayseedPunxGirl This is one of the best songs written that has to do with God.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this song about a child Mike Ness had and died? That's what my cousin, a huge Social D fan told me. I remember he later played it in dedication to Dennis, founding member of the band, when he passed away.
dont forget...the old school has a responsibility to raise the new school the right way....
fuck god