In the 1980s Russell made four albums credited to the Tom Russell Band. These featured Andrew Hardin and accordionist Fats Kaplin.
In the 1990s Russell made a number of solo albums, collaborated with blues singer Barrence Whitfield on two albums, and also recorded an acoustic album mixing original material with his favorite cowboy-themed songs. His albums include several guest appearances from other folk, country, and Americana artists, such as Chris Gaffney and Dave Alvin. His song "Outbound Plane", co-written with Nanci Griffith, became a Top Ten country hit for Suzy Bogguss. His most significant album from this period is the 1999 folk opera, The Man From God Knows Where.
His more recent albums include "Blood and Candle Smoke" (2009) and "Mesabi" (2011).
Angel Of Lyon
Tom Russell Lyrics
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With a rosary in her hand
So it's exit the rainmaker
The old gray flannel man
With a closet full of business suits
He left a letter near the phone
It said, "I'm on my way to paradise
To see the angel of lyon"
And then he caught the train to Brussels
He ordered cognac and croissants
He made a mental list
Of things he owned but didn't want
All the buildings, all the real estate
The antique glass and stone
He'd trade a vow of poverty
To see the angel of Lyon
And he sang ave maria
Or at least the parts he knew
And watched the shadow of the train
On the towns that they rolled through
And he closed his eyes and he saw two rivers
The Rhone and the saone
The male and female spirit of
The city of Lyon
Then he waited on the bridge
Where they met the year before
But the days turned into weeks
And then the seasons numbered four
And his clothes grew worn and ragged
As through that town he roamed
Searching every open window
For the angel of Lyon
And he sang Ava maria
Or at least the parts he knew
And watched his shadow on the walls
Of the streets that he walked through
And he crossed those holy rivers
The Rhone and the saone
They'd not give up the secret of
The angel of Lyon
There's a thousand candles burning
In the basilica tonight
Where sister eve maria
Is the keeper of the light
And down a dream of alleyways
Walks a saint of rag and bone
The madman torn asunder
By the angel of lyon
And he sang ava maria
Or at least the parts he knew
And watched his shadow on the wall
Of the streets that he crawled through
And he crossed those holy rivers
The Rhone and the saone
But they'd not give up the secret of
The angel of Lyon
The song "Angel of Lyon" by Tom Russell is a narration of a man who leaves behind his life to embark on a spiritual journey to find the "angel of Lyon." The song starts with the man having a vision of Anne Marie holding a rosary, which prompts him to leave his old life behind, quit his job as a rainmaker, and leave a note saying that he is going to paradise to find the "angel of Lyon." He travels and gets rid of all his material possessions, and soon he ends up in Lyon where he searches every corner of the city for the angel, whom he believes is a physical being. He is depicted as a madman wandering the city and singing Ave Maria, hoping to catch even a glimpse of the angel.
The lyrics talk about how the man waited in vain, for a year, and then his clothes grew worn and ragged. The song suggests that he finds it challenging to maintain his faith and sanity while wandering in search of his existence's purpose. The lyrics suggest that the man is ultimately consumed by madness as he is torn asunder by the angel even as he sings Ave Maria.
Line by Line Meaning
He had a vision of Anne Marie
He had a mystical experience involving a woman named Anne Marie.
With a rosary in her hand
She was holding a rosary, a set of beads for prayer, showing her religious devotion.
So it's exit the rainmaker
He left his job as a rainmaker, someone who produces rain artificially.
The old gray flannel man
He is an old man wearing a gray flannel suit, representing the corporate world.
With a closet full of business suits
He has accumulated a lot of business attire in his closet over time.
He left a letter near the phone
He wrote a note and left it near the telephone for others to find after he left.
It said, "I'm on my way to paradise
To see the angel of lyon"
The note explains that he is looking for something divine, and is headed toward the city of Lyon to seek out an angelic encounter.
And then he caught the train to Brussels
He traveled by train to Brussels, a city in Belgium.
He ordered cognac and croissants
He ordered a French brandy and sweet, flaky bread to enjoy on his journey.
He made a mental list
Of things he owned but didn't want
He considered the things he possessed but saw that they did not hold true value to him.
All the buildings, all the real estate
The antique glass and stone
He owned property and antiques that he considered meaningless in the pursuit of his spiritual quest.
He'd trade a vow of poverty
To see the angel of Lyon
He would give up his wealth and commit to a life of poverty if it meant encountering the angel of Lyon.
And he sang ave maria
Or at least the parts he knew
He sings parts of the Catholic prayer, Ave Maria, indicating his religious devotion.
And watched the shadow of the train
On the towns that they rolled through
He observes the shadow of the train passing through various towns and villages on his journey.
And he closed his eyes and he saw two rivers
The Rhone and the saone
He closes his eyes and visualizes two major rivers that flow through Lyon, the Rhone and the Saone.
The male and female spirit of
The city of Lyon
He perceives the rivers as masculine and feminine energies that embody the spirit of Lyon.
Then he waited on the bridge
Where they met the year before
He waited on a bridge where he had previously met someone or something, in hopes of repeating the experience.
But the days turned into weeks
And then the seasons numbered four
Time passes slowly without achieving his desired experience, spanning several months.
And his clothes grew worn and ragged
As through that town he roamed
His clothing becomes old and damaged from wandering around the town of Lyon.
Searching every open window
For the angel of Lyon
He looks into every visible opening, hoping to find his sought-after spiritual encounter.
There's a thousand candles burning
In the basilica tonight
There are many candles alight in a church called a basilica, indicating a religious ceremony or observation.
Where sister eve maria
Is the keeper of the light
A nun named Sister Eve Maria is responsible for tending to the candles in the church.
And down a dream of alleyways
Walks a saint of rag and bone
In a dream-like state, he imagines a saintly figure made of scrappy and bony features walking through narrow streets.
The madman torn asunder
By the angel of Lyon
The man is driven mad by the encounter with the angel of Lyon, furthering the mystical/supernatural aspect of the story.
And he sang ava maria
Or at least the parts he knew
He sings the Catholic prayer once again, this time perhaps to show the religious importance of his experience.
And watched his shadow on the wall
Of the streets that he crawled through
He is in such a disheveled state that he has to crawl through the streets, noticing his own shadow as he goes.
And he crossed those holy rivers
The Rhone and the saone
Still on his quest, he travels across the two rivers once again in hopes of another spiritual experience.
But they'd not give up the secret of
The angel of Lyon
Despite his efforts, he is unable to find the angel of Lyon and uncover its elusive nature.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Steve Young, Tom Russell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind