The cover art of the album depicts Gira's mother, Alice Schulte Gira, while the back cover features a picture of his father, Robert Pierre Gira.
On the album's composition, band leader Michael Gira wrote on the website for Young God Records:
"I wrote the songs over the last couple of years. As it turns out, they're all love songs, in one form or another. The songs started out with just my voice and acoustic guitar, and then developed naturally over time by playing them with my friends, whose collaboration and contributions are positively inspirational, to me anyway. Our combined sensibilities feel very natural at this point, which I guess comes from having played most of the songs live a lot. The songs were recorded live in the studio, then subjected to my usual lapses of over-orchestration. In this case though, I think I reigned myself in, and the final sound/picture seems to fit organically with the basic songs and lyrics".
Evangeline
The Angels of Light Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Laid across the sky
And the city lives
Up its arms to end
As I wait for you
Evangeline
Yes, my eyes have seen
your unselfishness
and my fingers touched
your two sleeping lips
as the echoes passed
just above our heads
as the city flashed
just beneath the cloud
that concealed the stars
and reflected sound
that protected us
from an emptiness
and then drifted down
in a diamond mist
as I watched you breathe
as I watched you dream
Evangeline
Evangeline
Evangeline
Evangeline
Evangeline
Evangeline
Evangeline
Evangeline
And a tenderness
and your innocence
you were following
with your secret bliss
you were following
with your perfect god
you were following
and I sighed a long feel(?)
When my fingertips
traced your naked skin
while the gentle flame
kissed your hollow lung(?)
Evangline
Like an acid stream
Evangeline
Like a shinin' vein
Evangeline
With your moonlight sheen
Evangeline
With your open gaze
Evangeline
With your still dark dreams
Evangeline
Evangeline
Evangeline
Evangeline
Evangeline
Evangeline
Evangeline
Evangeline
I can feel it now
I'm feeling now
Feel it now
Feel it now
Feel it now
Feel it now
Feel it now
Feel it now
Feel it now
Feel it now
Then it's gone
The song "Evangeline" by The Angels of Light is a composition about a person, who is waiting for someone named Evangeline, portrayed as sensitive and innocent. The city is the backdrop for this waiting period, and the singer is observing the beauty of the sky, which acts as a source of comfort to him. The silvery stream that is present in the sky reflects the city's lights, which is reflected in an abstract manner throughout the song. The singer describes having touched Evangeline's sleeping lips while the echoes of the city's sounds pass above their heads. The singer describes the tenderness and innocence of Evangeline, following her god with secret bliss. The anatomy of Evangeline is described as having moonlight sheen and open gaze with dark dreams.
Musically, "Evangeline" is an atmospheric, melancholic song that is intertwined with folk and experimental rock elements. It is a slow-paced song with long instrumental passages of various string instruments, including violins, cellos, and guitars. Michael Gira's baritone voice resonates throughout the song, accentuating the mood and ambiance of the composition. Gira's voice is haunting and emotional, providing an added dimension to the song's lyrical content.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a silver stream
There's a glistening river
Laid across the sky
Spreading majestically in the sky
And the city lives
And the city buzzes with life
Up its arms to end
Reaching its limit to touch the sky
As I wait for you
As I await your arrival
Evangeline
Name of the person being addressed
Yes, my eyes have seen
I acknowledge that my eyes have witnessed
your unselfishness
Your selflessness and generosity
and my fingers touched
My fingers came in contact with
your two sleeping lips
Your peaceful and calm state of sleep
as the echoes passed
As sounds reverberated around us
just above our heads
Just slightly above us
as the city flashed
As the city flickered with light
just beneath the cloud
Just underneath the clouds
that concealed the stars
Hiding the stars from our view
and reflected sound
And echoed sounds
that protected us
That shielded us
from an emptiness
From a sense of emptiness
and then drifted down
And then fell slowly
in a diamond mist
In a shimmering haze
as I watched you breathe
As I observed you inhale and exhale
as I watched you dream
As I saw you sleeping and dreaming
And a tenderness
And a gentleness
and your innocence
And your purity
you were following
You were pursuing
with your secret bliss
With your hidden delight
you were following
You were chasing
with your perfect god
With your flawless ideal
you were following
You were pursuing
and I sighed a long feel(?)
And I breathed in deeply with emotion
When my fingertips
When my fingers
traced your naked skin
Caressed your exposed skin
while the gentle flame
While the soft fire
kissed your hollow lung(?)
Kissed your empty space(?), perhaps referring to the chest
Like an acid stream
Compares something to a corrosive fluid
With your moonlight sheen
Referring to a lustrous glow
With your open gaze
With your unreserved and honest stare
With your still dark dreams
With your calm, obscure aspirations
I can feel it now
I can sense it at present
I'm feeling now
I experience it now
Then it's gone
Then it vanishes or fades away
Contributed by Thomas T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.