Show Me
Angel Lyrics

Show me something worse
Angel is asking to see something more terrible than seeing a child outside a church, begging for money with a cardboard box in a cruel and mocking town.

Than a child outside a church
Angel refers to the image of a small child, outside of a place of worship, where people are supposed to be compassionate, desperate for help.

Begging with a cardboard box
Angel adds that the child is using a cardboard box to collect whatever money people can spare. This image is significant because it highlights how the child is forced to use whatever resources they have to survive.

In a heartless town that hurts and mocks
Angel describes the town as being cruel, unfeeling, and unsympathetic to the child's suffering.

And on a chair anywhere
Angel says he can sit anywhere, on any piece of furniture, to contemplate the terrible things he's seen.

I will sit down and cry
Angel is overwhelmed by the sadness of what he's seen and needs to weep to release his emotions.

And close my eyes Against the Christmas windows Here in Christmas town
Angel sees a young girl sleeping against a festive store window, and this image is especially disturbing during the Christmas season, where people are supposed to be happy, joyful, and caring about others.

A young girl rests her tattered head And the festive lights shine down
Angel describes the young girl's head as worn out by her difficult life. But the lights from the stores above shine down, almost mocking her.

And if she were a kitten Someone would take her home But we've no pity for our own kind Our hearts are stone Our eyes are blind
Angel laments that if the girl were a kitten, she would likely find a warm and loving home. But since she's a human, there's little compassion for her, even though they're of the same kind. People have lost their empathy and compassion over the years, and their values have become distorted.

Show me something more Than the wolf at the door All the begging in the cold To keep the wolf from the fold
Angel asks to see something more dire than the common struggle to keep the wolf away from the door, or people begging in the cold to survive.

Than an honest girl turned thief or whore Under African sun or Dublin rain Necessities remain the same
Angel goes on to say that there are no differences between the needs of people regardless of the harsh conditions of where they live. A girl may resort to stealing or prostitution to make a living, no matter if she's in Africa or Dublin. In the end, people's needs are still the same, regardless of the differences in their situations.

On the roof the old wood shed The moon rested its pale head Cost a woman on a screen Who saw same things she'd never seen
Angel shares a scene where the moon sits on an old wooden shed. Here, a woman on a screen sees the same things Angel has seen, but these misfortunes have never been part of her life, and now she is finally understanding the extent of the world's sadness and sorrow.

And on a chair in a hospital She sat down and cried And close her eyes
The woman watching the screen is so overwhelmed that she breaks down and weeps, much like Angel has before in the song.