Gretchen Peters (born November 14, 1957 in Bronxville, New York) is an Amer… Read Full Bio ↴Gretchen Peters (born November 14, 1957 in Bronxville, New York) is an American singer-songwriter in the folk/country genre. An accomplished song-writer, she won the Country Music Association Song Of The Year award in 1994 for "Independence Day", a hit at the time for Martina McBride. She was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014.

Though born in New York, Peter's was raised in Boulder, Colorado, and then moved to Nashville in the late 1980s. There, she found work as a songwriter, composing hits for Martina McBride, Etta James, Trisha Yearwood, Patty Loveless, George Strait, Anne Murray, as well as for Neil Diamond and co-writing songs with Bryan Adams. She has twice been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Country Song, in 1995 and 1996, and was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song in 2003.

Peters has released a string of studio albums of her own. The title track of her 1996 debut album The Secret of Life was later recorded by Faith Hill in 1999.

In the case of her new album, 'Blackbirds,' "juice" is certainly understatement. Recorded in Nashville, the album features a who's who of modern American roots music: Jerry Douglas, Jason Isbell, Jimmy LaFave, Will Kimbrough, Kim Richey, Suzy Bogguss and more. But it's not the guests that make 'Blackbirds' the most poignant and moving album of Peters' storied career; it’s the impeccable craftsmanship, her ability to capture the kind of complex, conflicting, and overwhelming emotional moments we might otherwise try to hide and instead shine a light of truth and understanding onto them.

'Blackbirds' is, in many ways, an album that is unafraid to face down mortality. But rather than dwell on the pain of loss, the music finds a new appreciation for the life we're given.

If anyone can open up that conversation, it's Peters. Inducted into the prestigious Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014, she has long been one of Music City's most beloved and respected artists, known never to shy away from darkness and struggle in her writing. Martina McBride's recording of her stirring "Independence Day," a song that deals with domestic abuse, was nominated for a Grammy and took home Song of the Year honors at the CMAs, and her work has been performed by everyone from Etta James and Neil Diamond to George Strait and Trisha Yearwood. "If Peters never delivers another tune as achingly beautiful as 'On A Bus To St. Cloud,'" People Magazine wrote, "she has already earned herself a spot among country's upper echelon of contemporary composers."

'Blackbirds' follows Peters' 2012 album 'Hello Cruel World,' which NPR called "the album of her career" and Uncut said "establishes her as the natural successor to Lucinda Williams." If anything, though, 'Blackbirds' truly establishes Peters as a one-of-a-kind singer and songwriter, one in possession of a fearless and endlessly creative voice.

Dark Angel
Gretchen Peters Lyrics

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I got no use for harps and wings
I got no time for foolish things
There is no heaven, there is no hell
There's only you, my dark angel

Your bleeding heart, your pilgrim soul
Your wounded eyes, that take their toll
Your ragged voice like a broken bell

Against the noise, my dark angel

And if there is no hereafter
And there is only here
Life is still a beautiful disaster
Ah but you know that my dear

So let the curtain rise, let the great world spin
If it's all for show – let the show begin
Everybody's got something, something to sell
Except for you, my dark angel

There is no heaven, there is no hell

There's only you, my dark angel
There's only you, my dark angel

Overall Meaning

The song "Dark Angel" by Gretchen Peters, seems to be a conversation between a protagonist and their partner or lover who they address as "dark angel". The singer seems to hold disbelief in heaven and hell, rejecting any idea of an afterlife. Instead, they find solace in the companionship of their lover who they seem to hold in high regard, referring to them as the focal point of their existence as opposed to religious beliefs. The use of "harps and wings" and "foolish things" alludes to the idea of heaven, and as the song goes on, the singer seems to find meaning in life through the existence of their lover.

The lyrics "Your bleeding heart, your pilgrim soul, Your wounded eyes, that take their toll, Your ragged voice like a broken bell" seem to convey the idea of the flaws and imperfections of the singer's partner, but they seem to find comfort in embracing their imperfections. The singer expresses comfort in living in the present moment, which may signify living for the love that they share with their "dark angel". The lyrics "life is still a beautiful disaster" suggests that the singer sees the chaos of life as beautiful and meaningful, and they hope to continue experiencing it together with their partner.

In summary, the song "Dark Angel" by Gretchen Peters seems to be about rejecting the idea of heaven and hell in favor of finding meaning in life through companionship and love. The singer seems to find comfort in the imperfections of their partner and prefers to live in the present moment, which they see as beautiful despite any chaos.

Line by Line Meaning

I got no use for harps and wings
I do not have any interest in the traditional notions of heaven or angels.

I got no time for foolish things
I have no time for meaningless pursuits or irrelevant topics.

There is no heaven, there is no hell
There is no afterlife as commonly believed by many religions.

There's only you, my dark angel
You are the only one I need in my life.

Your bleeding heart, your pilgrim soul
Your compassionate nature and quest for spiritual enlightenment.

Your wounded eyes, that take their toll
The emotional distress you experience has a negative impact on you.

Your ragged voice like a broken bell
The pain and suffering you have been through has taken a toll on your voice.

Against the noise, my dark angel
You are a beacon of hope amidst the chaos and confusion.

And if there is no hereafter
If there is no afterlife, as previously mentioned.

And there is only here
If life is only about the present moment.

Life is still a beautiful disaster
Although life can be chaotic and unpredictable, it is still beautiful in its own way.

Ah but you know that my dear
You understand this concept as well.

So let the curtain rise, let the great world spin
Let life continue to unfold and let us see what happens next.

If it's all for show – let the show begin
If life is just a performance or spectacle, then we might as well enjoy it.

Everybody's got something, something to sell
Everyone has their own agenda or something they want to promote or sell.

Except for you, my dark angel
Except for you, who is content with just being yourself and doesn't need to prove anything to anyone.

There is no heaven, there is no hell
Reiterating the idea that there is no afterlife as commonly believed by many religions.

There's only you, my dark angel
Continuing to emphasize that the only thing that matters is the relationship between the singer and their 'dark angel'.

Contributed by Ava N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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