Angel

it's not really about her "beauty" as everyone is thinking. Imagine a man using crack, it gives him so much pleasure but at the same time he is wasting away; dying. Well the song is about a relationship that you want, and need so much that you are literally wasting away from it, you are dying because of a woman. If you listen to the guitars in the song, you can actually "hear" pain. It's about the detriment of our relationships. A woman of dark "beauty", one who you can't get away from, but she just slowly, slowly kills you.

I believe this song depicts the perilous effects of lust; how the persona is completely dangerously enraptured by a certain 'angel' with devious intentions. Eyes are normally indicative of a person's intentions, therefore, the line 'Her eyes, She's on the dark side' indicates her malciious intent. I suppose 'Neutralize, Every man in sight' really means how every man is easily taken into her seduction. Destructive lust is the main theme here; the music doesn't say otherwise.

I think it's about a man who finds a woman so incredibly perfect that he thinks she has to be an angel, and she's so perfect for him that he goes as far as to think that she is HIS angel--he's obsessed with her. but he also sees how his obsession is not unique, since she has the power to "neutralize" any man and every man must therefore think she is THEIR angel--making her a dark angel because he loves her alone but she is loved by everyone and thus suggestive that she does not love him back.

If you watch the video which is excellent, the video is about fear and about facing and confronting fear. Fear does not exist it only comes from within. "You are my angel" could this mean that there is an angel watching us and protecting us against our fears. just thought this might be a different interpretation. great song as usual by massive attack

I've never really thought this song spoke anything about a girl or a desired woman or something like that. I like to take this one literally. It speaks about Angels. Angels do exist. I've know lot of stories about that. lots. and the "she's on the dark side" part, maybe, its an angel that needs to "neutralize" every bad energy, every common earthly thing, in order to love, and only to love,the human being. I think the whole tension of the song is to show the unbelivable thing, that exists a being thats meant only to love and protect. It's scary but... fascinating. a being made for help.

I see it as a man from a more sheltered life who meets this girl who is beautiful and perfect to him but also from the "wrong side." He believes that she could have any man she wants and calls her his angel because out of all the people, she chose him.

Ultimately I think it's a love song. It will be my future wedding song :P

It's funny how no one mentions the original 1973 song which has the following lyrics:

You are my angel, you are my angel Sent from heaven above as a gift from god And I'm gonna love you, love you, girl 'till the end of time Your eyes are like a cat in the dark That hypnotize every man with love But I'm gonna watch you, watch you, girl, anywhere you go Because I love you, love you and I don't want to lose you

This version is just a readaptation of the original lyrics in this cold and dark atmosphere specific to mezzanine.

Every theme covered in the original is present in the new version but the lightness and joy seem to have given way to something much darker.

Less words, more room for interpretation.

So as everyone has their own (over)interpretation, I would say, for my part, that maybe the woman of the first version has passed away and is now on the dark side. This could explain the use of the third person. But she still is present in his heart and thoughts, obsessively. She could be his guardian angel but also the evil bringing him down to the depths of hell. Alive, she used to hypnotize men, Now she has the power to neutralize them in a sight. Angels sometimes have terrifying aspects in ancien texts and myths.

Anyway, this is just an interpretation among many others. My opinion is that Massive Attack made a great job turning a classic reggae love song into a dark and disturbing piece of art.

[Edit: Just added an element to my reasoning]

I think this is about someone who is being chased by his inner fears, no matter how hard he tries to outrun them they catch up with him, getting bigger and bigger in his mind until he feels it's hopeless. The fears and insecurities are feeding off him and at the end he faces them all head on and pleads with them to leave him alone but they won't, they have no mercy. Lucky him though, he finally stands up to them all and they disappear. It's a very dark song, from the depths of desperation.

Great song, the music is just great!

this song is more than just being in love with this girl who is completely entrancing and bewitching, it is in itself enticing. it evolves into dark beauty. it is mysterious and quite sinister. it is almost like a stalker singing this song... amazing