# Angels Would Fall

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{{Short description|1999 single by Melissa Etheridge}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = Angels Would Fall
| cover      = Angels would fall.jpg
| alt        =
| type       = single
| artist     = [Melissa Etheridge](/source/Melissa_Etheridge)
| album      = [Breakdown](/source/Breakdown_(Melissa_Etheridge_album))
| released   = {{start date|1999|8|31}}<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Going for Adds|magazine=[Radio & Records](/source/Radio_%26_Records)|issue=1314|pages=139, 143, 154|date=August 27, 1999}}</ref>
| recorded   =
| studio     = [Sunset Sound](/source/Sunset_Sound) (Hollywood, California)
| length     = 4:39
| label      = [Island](/source/Island_Records)
| writer     = Melissa Etheridge, [John Shanks](/source/John_Shanks)
| producer   = Melissa Etheridge, John Shanks
| prev_title = Nowhere to Go
| prev_year  = 1996
| next_title = [Scarecrow](/source/Scarecrow_(Melissa_Etheridge_song))
| next_year  = 1999
}}

"'''Angels Would Fall'''" is a song by American musician [Melissa Etheridge](/source/Melissa_Etheridge), released as the first single from her sixth album, ''[Breakdown](/source/Breakdown_(Melissa_Etheridge_album))'' (1999), on August 31, 1999.

== Song information ==
The song was written by [Melissa Etheridge](/source/Melissa_Etheridge) with the main guitar [loop](/source/loop_(music)) contributed by [John Shanks](/source/John_Shanks). It is one of her darkest songs as the singer says herself on the bonus DVD of her album ''Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled'':<ref>Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled at 00:48:40</ref>

{{cquote|''Breakdown'' was such a dark period in my life that all the songs were turning out so dark that I even had to go to John Shanks who was producing this album, which was one of his first producing projects [...] but it was a very artistic time and the songs were very moody, very dark, and I finally said: "Look, do you have any pieces of music maybe I can write to? Because I am scraping on the bottom of my soul."}}

"Angels Would Fall" is about a desperate crush Etheridge had on someone else's girlfriend during her shattered relationship with [Julie Cypher](/source/Julie_Cypher).<ref>''Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled'' at 00:50:10</ref> In the verses, she describes the pain she feels because she can tell nobody about her feelings ("The rope that's wrapped around me is cutting through my skin..."), while in the chorus she is singing the desired person's praises ("Angels never came down [...] but if they knew, if they knew you at all, angels would fall...").

==Accolades==
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! | Year
! | Award
! | Category
! | Result
! | Ref.
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2000
| rowspan="2"| [Grammy Award](/source/42nd_Annual_Grammy_Awards)
| [Best Rock Song](/source/Grammy_Award_for_Best_Rock_Song)
| {{nom}}
| rowspan="2" align="center"| <ref name="Gram">{{cite web |title=Melissa Etheridge |url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/melissa-etheridge/12402 |publisher=[The Recording Academy](/source/The_Recording_Academy) |access-date=October 15, 2022 |archive-date=August 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220824213416/https://www.grammy.com/artists/melissa-etheridge/12402 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [Best Female Rock Vocal Performance](/source/Grammy_Award_for_Best_Female_Rock_Vocal_Performance)
| {{nom}}
|}

== Music video ==
The [music video](/source/music_video) was shot in 1999 and shows Etheridge playing her song in a dark, empty, saloon-styled bar where the furniture is destroyed like after a fight. In retrospective scenes, nebulous images of people in white dresses come down from the ceiling symbolising the fallen angels. While they fall down, they cause the damage described above. These angels find love in each other, both homosexual and heterosexual couples are formed. Towards the end, the door of the bar opens and the angels go into the light.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ0IiYJGz9Y The music video on YouTube, published by Universal Music Group]</ref>

== Track listings ==
All song were written by Melissa Etheridge except "Angels Would Fall", written by Etheridge and John Shanks.

'''US and Australian CD single'''<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Angels Would Fall|others=[Melissa Etheridge](/source/Melissa_Etheridge)|year=1999|type=US CD single liner notes|publisher=[Island Records](/source/Island_Records)|id=314 562 345-8}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Angels Would Fall|others=Melissa Etheridge|year=1999|type=Australian CD single liner notes|publisher=Island Records|id=562 345 2}}</ref>
# "Angels Would Fall"
# "Into the Dark"
# "Beloved"

'''US 7-inch single and European CD single'''<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Angels Would Fall|others=Melissa Etheridge|year=1999|type=US 7-inch single vinyl disc|publisher=Island Records|id=314-562 344-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Angels Would Fall|others=Melissa Etheridge|year=1999|type=European CD single liner notes|publisher=Island Records|id=562 344-2}}</ref>
# "Angels Would Fall" – 4:17
# "Into the Dark" – 4:58

== Personnel ==
{{div col}}
* Melissa Etheridge – acoustic guitar, vocals
* Kenny Aronoff – drums, [marimba](/source/marimba), shaker
* Jon Brion – guitar
* Mark Browne – bass
* Matt Chamberlain – drums
* Steve Ferrone – percussion, drums
* Rami Jaffee – keyboard
* Jim Keltner – drums
* Greg Leisz – guitar, [mandolin](/source/mandolin), [lap steel guitar](/source/lap_steel_guitar), pedals
* [Brian MacLeod](/source/Brian_MacLeod_(U.S._musician)) – percussion, [drum loop](/source/Music_loop)
* Pino Palladino – bass
* John Shanks – [dulcimer](/source/Appalachian_dulcimer), guitar, harp, marimba, background vocals
* Patrick Warren – keyboard
* Gota Yashiki – drum loop
{{div col end}}

== Charts ==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

=== Weekly charts ===
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1999)
!Peak<br/>position
|-
!scope="row"|Australia ([ARIA](/source/ARIA_Charts))<ref>{{cite book|last=Ryan|first=Gavin|title=Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010|year=2011|publisher=Moonlight Publishing|location=Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia}}</ref>
|59
|-
!scope="row"|Canada (''[The Record](/source/The_Record_(magazine))'')<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Hits of the World: Canada|magazine=[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))|volume=111|issue=38|page=74|date=September 18, 1999}}</ref>
|16
|-
{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|6|chartid=7338|rowheader=true|access-date=August 16, 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|Canadaadultcontemporary|28|chartid=7285|rowheader=true|access-date=August 16, 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|Canadarock|5|chartid=8435|rowheader=true|access-date=August 16, 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|Germany|88|artist=Melissa Etheridge|song=Angels Would Fall|songid=16900|rowheader=true|access-date=August 16, 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|Dutch100|61|artist=Melissa Etheridge|song=Angels Would Fall|rowheader=true|access-date=August 16, 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|New Zealand|48|artist=Melissa Etheridge|song=Angels Would Fall|rowheader=true|access-date=August 16, 2023}}
|-
! scope="row" |Quebec ([ADISQ](/source/ADISQ))<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151129063315/http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/palmares/2010-Anglo-Allophone/Anglo-Compilation_succes_ordre_alpha_interpretes.pdf|url=http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/palmares/2010-Anglo-Allophone/Anglo-Compilation_succes_ordre_alpha_interpretes.pdf|title=Palmarès de la chanson anglophone et allophone au Québec|publisher=[BAnQ](/source/Biblioth%C3%A8que_et_Archives_nationales_du_Qu%C3%A9bec)|date=11 September 1999|access-date=22 June 2025|archive-date=29 November 2015|language=fr|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|align="center"|4
|-
{{single chart|Billboardhot100|51|artist=Melissa Etheridge|rowheader=true|access-date=August 16, 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardadultalternativesongs|1|artist=Melissa Etheridge|rowheader=true|access-date=August 16, 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardadultpopsongs|9|artist=Melissa Etheridge|rowheader=true|access-date=August 16, 2023}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardpopsongs|32|artist=Melissa Etheridge|rowheader=true|access-date=August 16, 2023}}
|}
{{col-2}}

=== Year-end charts ===
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1999)
!Position
|-
!scope="row"|Canada Top Singles (''RPM'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.9952&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.9952.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.9952|title=RPM 1999 Top 100 Hit Tracks|magazine=[RPM](/source/RPM_(magazine))|via=[Library and Archives Canada](/source/Library_and_Archives_Canada)|access-date=August 16, 2023}}</ref>
|43
|-
!scope="row"|Canada Rock/Alternative (''RPM'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.9960&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.9960.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.9960|title=RPM 1999 Top 50 Rock Tracks|magazine=RPM|via=Library and Archives Canada|access-date=August 16, 2023}}</ref>
|33
|-
!scope="row"|US Adult Top 40 (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1999|magazine=[Airplay Monitor](/source/Airplay_Monitor)|volume=7|issue=52|page=47|date=December 24, 1999}}</ref>
|52
|-
!scope="row"|US Triple-A (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Best of '99: Most Played Triple-A Songs|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=7|issue=52|page=38|date=December 24, 1999}}</ref>
|19
|}
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (2000)
!Position
|-
|-
!scope="row"|US Adult Top 40 (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 2000|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=8|issue=51|page=48|date=December 22, 2000}}</ref>
|84
|}
{{col-end}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Sources ==
* Melissa Etheridge and Laura Morton: ''The truth is...'', Random House 2002
* Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled bonus DVD
* [http://www.golyr.de/index.php?view_site=display&view_id=57564 Lyrics]

{{Melissa Etheridge}}
{{Authority control}}

Category:1999 singles
Category:Melissa Etheridge songs
Category:Songs written by Melissa Etheridge
Category:Songs written by John Shanks
Category:1999 songs
Category:LGBTQ-related songs
Category:Island Records singles

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Angels Would Fall](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angels_Would_Fall) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angels_Would_Fall?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.