What U2 songs feature 'angels' in the lyrics?
What's an angel?
Some see them as messengers of God. Others may see them as mystical creatures who look out for Earth dwellers.
Some say everybody has a guardian angel.
So what of U2 and their lyrical references to these winged entites?
What does Bono think of their place in the world?
Angel of Harlem
We should start with an obvious one, Angel of Harlem. Featuring a wicked guitar rhythm, the song is U2's homage to the jazz legend that was Billie Holiday.
She is the Lady Day the song refers to and her spirit is considered to be the Angel of Harlem.
If God will send his angels
Probably the most obvious song for the point of this essay.
One of the few truly good U2 songs from the Pop album, the song was made popular by being on the soundtrack to the City of Angels film that starred Nic Cage and Meg Ryan.
This film was a remake of sorts of a Wim Wenders film - which U2 trainspotters may note that Wim is a great fan and friend of U2 and several of their songs have graced the soundtrack to his movies.
Stay (Faraway, So Close!
Originally intended to be a song for Frank Sinatra, Stay features one of the best lyrics Bono has ever written which us sued to some up the story being told in the song "Just the bang and the clatter as an angel runs to ground".
Wim Wenders also directed U2's promotional video for the song.
Wim used ideas from his movies to tell the story of U2's members acting as guardian angels over the band who were actually performing the song in the video.
Wim used ideas from his movies to tell the story of U2's members acting as guardian angels over the band who were actually performing the song in the video.
Bullet the Blue Sky
The classic track from The Joshua Tree album, it is a discussion of dirty American politics at play.
Featuring the line "Jacob wrestles the angel but the angel was overcome" this is a reference to Genesis from the Christian Bible. At that time Jacob was said to have actually met an angel of God.
The lyric seems to be suggesting that the conflicts Bono is sing about, such as war in El Salavador are beat out God.
It's almost the classic, if God exists, why is there evil in the world argument.
There are some other songs too - Deep in the Heart, Trip through your wires and Oh, Berlin which was found in the vaults an released as part of the Achtung Baby re-issue.
Finally, while the word angel does not appear in Lucifer's Hands Lucifer himself is said to be a fallen angel. The song is found on the deluxe version of Songs of Innocence.
