With 2 million albums sold (1 million of which were sold in Switzerland, which only has 7 million habitants), they managed to get multi-platinum awards in different parts of the world.
Influences include Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Whitesnake, Deep Purple and Aerosmith. Singer Steve Lee is especially fond of Whitesnake and has based his singing style on their lead singer David Coverdale.
Gotthard also performed "Immigrant Song" (originally by Led Zeppelin) live and it featured exclusively on a CD by Classic Rock (a long running monthly UK rock magazine). "Hush" was also performed live and can be found on Made In Switzerland album.
Another cover of a song they have recorded is "The Mighty Quinn", originally called Quinn The Eskimo, by Bob Dylan.
Singer Steve Lee was killed in a motorcycle accident on October 5th 2010. A truck struck him while he was stopped on the side of a desert road in Nevada (USA), putting on rain gear.
Current line-up:
Nic Maeder: Vocals
Leo Leoni: Lead Guitar
Freddy Scherer: Rhythm Guitar
Marc Lynn: Bass
Hena Habegger: Drums
I've Seen An Angel Cry
Gotthard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somehow I forgot to see
That the essence of my life
Is what she means to me
I've seen an angel cry tonight
And she was standing by my side
Hiding her tears behind a smile
'cause when I've seen my angel cry
All my life just passes by
Oh tell me lord what can I do
'cause I don't want my angel blue
What can I do
Looking back, to all the things I've done
Guess I was raised that way
So now I know what I did wrong
And I wanna try and change
'cause when I've seen my angel cry
And all my life just passes by
Sometimes the answer drives me mad
Never thought it hurt so bad
And still I see my angel cry
I try so hard, I wonder why
Here comes the rain to wash away
Our precious dreams made down to lay
Are they all gone
Don't wanna see my angel cry
I never learn, I don't know why
She hiding her tears behind a smile
Sometimes it takes a fool a while
'cause when I've seen my angel cry
All my life just passes by
Oh tell me lord what can I do
'cause I don't want my angel blue
What can I do
The verses of "I've Seen An Angel Cry" are about the realization that the singer, who seemingly has it all, hasn't been appreciating the most important thing in his life: his significant other, or "angel." He reflects on his past mistakes and vows to make changes. However, the crux of the song comes in the chorus, where the singer describes the pain he feels when he sees his angel cry. It's a moment that washes away all of the material goods and highlights the importance of love and connection.
The imagery in the lyrics is very powerful. The idea of an angel crying is inherently emotional, and the contrast between the tears and the typically serene and ethereal depiction of angels adds another layer to the theme of the song. Additionally, the use of rain as a symbol for sadness and cleansing is a common one, and this song utilizes it effectively.
At its core, "I've Seen An Angel Cry" is a love song, but it's not overly sentimental or cheesy. The lyrics tap into a universal feeling of wanting to protect and care for the people we love, and the music amplifies the emotion. It's a straightforward but effective message that is easy to relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
So this is it, we've got it all
We have everything we need in life, or so it seems
Somehow I forgot to see
I failed to realize something important
That the essence of my life
What truly matters in my life
Is what she means to me
Is my loved one and the relationship we have
I've seen an angel cry tonight
I witnessed my loved one, who I see as an angel, cry
And she was standing by my side
My loved one was physically present with me
Hiding her tears behind a smile
Smiling to conceal her true emotions
Sometimes it takes a fool a while
It can take someone a long time to understand or realize something
'cause when I've seen my angel cry
Because when I saw my loved one cry
All my life just passes by
My entire life seems to flash before me
Oh tell me lord what can I do
Asking for guidance or assistance from a higher power
'cause I don't want my angel blue
Because I don't want my loved one to be sad or upset
What can I do
Asking for advice or suggestions on how to help my loved one
Looking back, to all the things I've done
Reflecting on my past actions
Guess I was raised that way
I was brought up or taught to behave in a certain manner
So now I know what I did wrong
I am aware of my mistakes or errors
And I wanna try and change
I want to improve and amend my behavior
Sometimes the answer drives me mad
Sometimes the solution or response can be frustrating or annoying
Never thought it hurt so bad
I never realized how painful it could be
And still I see my angel cry
Despite my efforts, my loved one is still upset
I try so hard, I wonder why
I am putting in a lot of effort, but I am unsure why things are not improving
Here comes the rain to wash away
Something is happening that is causing our hopes or dreams to be destroyed
Our precious dreams made down to lay
Our cherished aspirations have been laid to rest or lost
Are they all gone
Questioning if all of our hopes and dreams are lost forever
Don't wanna see my angel cry
I do not want my loved one to be upset or unhappy
I never learn, I don't know why
I repeat my mistakes and do not understand why
She hiding her tears behind a smile
My loved one is still concealing her true emotions
Sometimes it takes a fool a while
It can take someone a while to understand the situation or how to help
'cause when I've seen my angel cry
Because when I saw my loved one cry
All my life just passes by
Everything else seems insignificant when my loved one is sad
Oh tell me lord what can I do
Asking for guidance or assistance from a higher power
'cause I don't want my angel blue
Because I do not want my loved one to be unhappy or melancholy
What can I do
Requesting advice or suggestions on how to help my loved one
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MARY SUSAN APPLEGATE, HEINZ HABEGGER, STEVE LEE, MASSIMO LEONI, MARKUS PROBST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Moser Marcel
It will never be the same. Steve has an outstanding voice. This voice was Gotthard. It's like Queen without Freddy Mercury. The old fans will never forget a voice like the voice of Steve Lee.
palg123
and Steve had a charisma. New singer can have similar voice, but Steves charisma will not replace.
Everlastlove
A song of incredible beauty! I'm still crying for Steve!
denimelig64
quanto mais ouço mais eu amo esse cara !!!
Tiffany Jureczek
Best music that will forever remain in our hearts! You are deeply missed. ❤ R.I.P. STEVE ❤ KEEP ON ROCKIN GOTTHARD!!!✌✌
HDSpuerstar
I miss Steve so much. He was my favourite singer ever and always will be. Life's unfair and cruel. I will forever cherish this song and bring it in my heart. And it's never going to leave this place. I remember the day I heard of the news... I was so damn shocked and left with a loss for words.
Márta Sógor
An epic ballad -- it touch my heart everytime when I hear it!
mika roininen
jou....
Norbert L.
Damn I like this song.. Went to 4 concerts, 1 of them was an unplugged concert, sitting like 2-3 meters from them, that was a wonderful night. Thanks for the good moments spent listening to you!
From time to time I have to come back and listen again.. And again..
May you rest in peace Steve.. Eternally..
Ralph Reynolds
R.i.p Steve I can't believe I never heard of this band back when they started.amazing voice gone way to soon.