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Angel (Sarah McLachlan song)

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"Angel"
Single by Sarah McLachlan
from the album Surfacing and City of Angels
B-side
  • "Ice Cream" (live)
  • "I Will Not Forget You" (live)
Released28 September 1998 (1998-09-28)
Length
  • 4:30 (album version)
  • 4:00 (radio edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)Sarah McLachlan
Producer(s)Pierre Marchand
Sarah McLachlan singles chronology
"Adia"
(1998) 		"Angel"
(1998) 		"I Will Remember You"
(1999)
Music video
"Angel" on YouTube

"Angel" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan. The song first appeared on McLachlan's fourth studio album, Surfacing, in 1997 and was released as the album's fourth and final single in September 1998. The lyrics are about the death of musician Jonathan Melvoin (1961–1996) from a heroin overdose,[1] as McLachlan explained on VH1 Storytellers. It is sometimes mistitled as "In the Arms of an Angel"[2] or "Arms of the Angel".

"Angel" was McLachlan's second consecutive top-five hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number four. It also spent 12 weeks at number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, placing as the number-one song on that chart for 1999. In McLachlan's native Canada, it reached number seven on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart and number three on the Adult Contemporary chart. Outside North America, the song has charted in several countries in the years following its release, including reaching number seven in Ireland in 2002 and number nine in Norway in 2008.

Despite the meaning and subject matter of this song, "Angel" is often played at funerals and memorial services due to the lyrics, "You're in the arms of the angel. May you find some comfort here".[3]

Darryl McDaniels of the rap group Run-DMC credited Angel to saving his life when he was suicidal.[4][5]

Background

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"Angel" was one of the first songs written for Surfacing. Sarah McLachlan said that writing it was easy, "a real joyous occasion",[6] and that "the bulk of it came in about three hours". It was inspired by articles that she read in Rolling Stone about musicians turning to heroin to cope with the pressures of the music industry and subsequently overdosing, most notably Jonathan Melvoin, a keyboardist for the Smashing Pumpkins, who died of an overdose in 1996.[7][6][8] She said that she identified with the feelings that might lead someone to use heroin: "I've been in that place where you've messed up and you're so lost that you don't know who you are anymore, and you're miserable—and here's this escape route. I've never done heroin, but I've done plenty of other things to escape."[6] She said that the song is about "trying not to take responsibility for other people's problems and trying to love yourself at the same time".

Composition

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The song has a sparse arrangement, with only three instruments used: a piano played by McLachlan, a drum machine programmed by Pierre Marchand, and upright bass played by Jim Creeggan of Barenaked Ladies.[9] It was recorded in the key of D-flat major.[10] For live performances, it is transposed up one half-step to D major, the key it was originally written in, and played without the bass.

Chart performance

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Released as a single on 28 September 1998,[11] "Angel" peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 on 22 February 1999 (spending 19 weeks in the top 10),[12] finishing as the 18th-most popular song of the year.[13] It reached number one on three Billboard charts: the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart,[14] the Adult Top 40 chart,[15] and the Top 40 Tracks chart.[16] It spent 12 weeks at number one on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart, finishing as the number-one song of the year on that chart.[13] In McLachlan's native Canada, "Angel" peaked at number seven on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart in February 1999,[17] ending the year as Canada's 48th-most successful single.[18] It also peaked at number three on the RPM Adult Contemporary chart.[19]

In the years following its release, "Angel" has charted in a large number of countries. On 21 January 2002,[20] British producers Rollo Armstrong and Mark Bates (as their joint venture Dusted) released a remix that peaked at number seven in Ireland and number 36 in the United Kingdom.[21][22] In 2008, "Angel" charted in Norway and peaked at number nine for two weeks.[23] The following year, it made a brief appearance on the New Zealand Singles Chart, debuting and peaking at number 36 in July.[24] The song has charted in Austria and Switzerland on several occasions, peaking at number 17 in both counties,[25][26] and it also reached number 57 in Germany in October 2012.[27] The following month, it debuted and peaked at number 77 in France.[28] During its original release, "Angel" peaked at number 99 on the Dutch Single Top 100, but it reached a new peak of number 31 in February 2014.[29]

Live performances

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On 8 April 2000, McLachlan performed "Angel" with Carlos Santana on guitar at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California. The show was televised on Fox TV and released on the DVD Supernatural Live – An Evening with Carlos Santana and Friends. On 2 July 2005, McLachlan performed this song at Live 8 Philadelphia with Josh Groban, and continued in 2016 with Groban. She also performed the song during the "Concert for Linda," dedicating it to the memory of Linda McCartney. On 10 September 2011, McLachlan performed the song to close the ceremonies at the dedication of the Flight 93 Memorial in Stonycreek Township, commemorating the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93 who fought the hijackers and brought down their airplane in the September 11 attacks. On 23 November 2008, Sarah McLachlan performed "Angel" at the American Music Awards with artist Pink. On 21 May 2019, McLachlan sang "Angel" on the sixteenth season of the US competition series The Voice as a duet with the eventual winner of the show, Maelyn Jarmon. On 21 April 2020, McLachlan and her daughter, India Sood, performed a duet, posted to Facebook, as a response to the killing spree in Nova Scotia.

Reception

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According to Vivian Rashotte of CBC Radio, "With its sombre melody and heart-wrenching lyrics, Angel quickly became the unofficial anthem of mourning following tragic events, such as the death of Princess Diana in 1997, the 1999 Columbine High School massacre and the September 11, 2001 attacks. Today, it's recognized as the de facto song of sorrow and healing for both public and private experiences of loss."[30]

Track listings

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Personnel

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Personnel are lifted from the Surfacing liner notes.[9]

  • Sarah McLachlan – writing, vocals, piano
  • Pierre Marchand – drum machine
  • Jim Creeggan – upright bass

Charts

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Certifications and sales

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[52] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[53] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States 28 September 1998 Contemporary hit radio
[11]
Denmark 20 September 1999 CD Arista [54]
United Kingdom 21 January 2002
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
 Nettwerk [20]
[edit]

Since 2008, the song has become notable for being featured in television commercials with McLachlan for the ASPCA.[55][56][57]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Drugs in Songs". Fun Trivia. Archived from the original on 7 March 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  2. ^ Ebony – Oct 2007 – Page 194 "He decided against killing himself while back in the United States after hearing on the radio Sarah McLachlan's song "In the Arms of an Angel." " and other examples
  3. ^ "Top 10 Funeral Songs". Next Gen Memorials. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  4. ^ D., Spence (24 February 2006). "DMC: Saved By An Angel – How Sarah McLachlan thwarted the legendary MC's suicidal tendencies". IGN. Archived from the original on 25 October 2008. Retrieved 7 August 2008.
  5. ^ "Darryl McDaniels on The Moth". The Moth Radio Hour.
  6. ^ a b c Reighley, Kurt B. (August 1997), "Sarah McLachlan In The Garden", CMJ New Music Monthly, College Media Inc., pp. 21–25, retrieved 12 May 2010
  7. ^ Sarah McLachlan explaining her inspiration to write 'Angel' (interview discussing Surfacing CD, posted to YouTube on 9 December 2008)
  8. ^ McDonnell, Evelyn (September 1997), "Lilith Fair", Spin, Spin Media LLC, p. 64, retrieved 12 May 2010
  9. ^ a b Surfacing (Canadian CD album liner notes). Sarah McLachlan. Nettwerk. 1997. 0 6700 30116 2 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ Sarah, McLachlan. "Sarah McLachlan "Angel" Sheet Music in Db Major (transposable) - Download & Print". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  11. ^ a b "Sarah McLachlan: Angel". Radio & Records. No. 1267. 25 September 2022. p. 35.
  12. ^ a b "Sarah McLachlan Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g "1999: The Year in Music" (PDF). Billboard. 26 December 1998. pp. 48–100. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  14. ^ a b "Sarah McLachlan Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  15. ^ a b "Sarah McLachlan Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  16. ^ a b "Top 40 Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 7. 13 February 1999. p. 108.
  17. ^ a b "RPM 100 Hit Tracks – February 22, 1999" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 68, no. 18. 22 February 1999. p. 2. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  18. ^ a b "RPM 1999 Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  19. ^ a b "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 6986." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  20. ^ a b "New Releases – For Week Starting January 21, 2002" (PDF). Music Week. 19 January 2002. p. 29. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  21. ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Sarah Mc Lachlan". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  22. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  23. ^ a b "Sarah McLachlan – Angel". VG-lista. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  24. ^ a b "Sarah McLachlan – Angel". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  25. ^ a b "Sarah McLachlan – Angel" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  26. ^ a b "Sarah McLachlan – Angel". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  27. ^ a b "Sarah McLachlan – Angel" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  28. ^ a b "Sarah McLachlan – Angel" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  29. ^ a b "Sarah McLachlan – Angel" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  30. ^ Rashotte, Vivian (18 June 2018). "'I have to make fun of it': Sarah McLachlan on the intense power of Angel, the unofficial song of sorrow". CBC. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  31. ^ Angel (US CD single liner notes). Sarah McLachlan. Arista Records. 1999. 07822-13621-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  32. ^ Angel (US cassette single sleeve). Sarah McLachlan. Arista Records. 1999. 07822-13621-4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  33. ^ Angel (European CD single liner notes). Sarah McLachlan. Arista Records. 1999. 74321 66155 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  34. ^ Angel (European CD single liner notes). Sarah McLachlan. Arista Records. 1999. 74321 661092.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  35. ^ Angel (UK 12-inch vinyl sleeve). Sarah McLachlan. Nettwerk. 2002. 5 037703 31471 9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  36. ^ Angel (UK CD A liner notes). Sarah McLachlan. Nettwerk. 2002. 5 037703 314825.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  37. ^ Angel (UK CD AA liner notes). Sarah McLachlan. Nettwerk. 2002. 5 037703 314924.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  38. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 183.
  39. ^ "Imgur Post, Jan 10 2017". ARIA Charts. Retrieved 13 July 2019 – via Imgur.
  40. ^ "Top 10 Dance Singles, Week Ending 28 March 2002". GfK Chart-Track. Retrieved 3 June 2019.[permanent dead link]
  41. ^ "Charts: Luxembourg Digital Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  42. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  43. ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  44. ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  45. ^ "Sarah McLachlan Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  46. ^ "Sarah McLachlan Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  47. ^ "Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1998". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 6, no. 52. 25 December 1998. p. 55.
  48. ^ "RPM 1999 Top 100 Adult Contemporary". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  49. ^ "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 1999". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 7, no. 52. 24 December 1999. p. 54.
  50. ^ "The Year in Music 2000: Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 53. 30 December 2000. p. YE-98. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  51. ^ "Top 100 Songs of 2002". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 2002. Archived from the original on 2 June 2004. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  52. ^ "British single certifications – Sarah McLachlan – Angel". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  53. ^ "American single certifications – Sarah Mc Lachlan – Angel". Recording Industry Association of America.
  54. ^ "Sarah McLachlan: Single". click2music.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 1 February 2003. Retrieved 5 November 2023. To view release date, select McLachlan Sarah from Vælg kunster (A - Å), then click on Angel.
  55. ^ Strom, Stephanie (25 December 2008). "Ad Featuring Singer Proves Bonanza for the ASPCA". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  56. ^ Lefave, Samantha (4 January 2016). "Sarah McLachlan Reveals the Truth About Those Sad ASPCA Ads". Redbook. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  57. ^ "Sarah McLachlan ASPCA Commercial: Singer Reveals How She Really Feels". People. 28 December 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
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