Angels on Her Shoulders
Josh Ritter Lyrics

She walked right in
She entered the bar confidently and with purpose.

As time slowed down
The singer was so taken by her presence that time momentarily seemed to slow.

But not enough
Despite the momentary shift in time, the singer remained aware of his surroundings.

To keep me from ordering up
He took the opportunity of her entrance to order another drink.

Another round
He ordered another drink to steady his nerves.

In a bottomless cup
He knew that the drink itself would never be enough to fill the emptiness he felt.

That I had found
He had found solace in the familiar pattern of visiting this bar.

In the hopes of never waking up the
He hoped that by drinking enough he would be able to remain numb to the world around him.

Jukebox played
The bar's jukebox began to play music.

An old country song
The song was familiar and comforting to the artist.

About steel guitars
The song was a classic country music ballad that referenced a steel guitar.

And how he'll try his level best
The song's lyrics referenced a man trying his best to succeed in life despite setbacks.

To get along
The man in the song was doing his best to fit in and get by in the world.

In the same old bar
The man in the song found himself in the same bar the singer was currently in, highlighting the cyclical nature of events.

Though friends gone wrong
The man had likely experienced betrayal or loss at the hands of those he had once considered friends.

Well he once had love but I never got that far
The man in the song had likely experienced love before, but the artist himself had never found it.

She must have angels on her shoulders
The artist is struck by the woman's beauty and presence, and sees her as an ethereal being.

Their light wherever she may be
Her presence seems to light up every space she enters.

She says the angels do not know her
Despite the singer's perception of her as angelic, she does not see herself in the same light.

I guess I'm the only one who sees.
The artist feels alone in his perception of the woman as an angel.

So I got my drink
After ordering another drink earlier in the song, the artist does so again.

And my fix my rose
He has a flower pinned to his lapel, likely as an attempt to look suave or romantic for the woman.

But I need much more
Despite his attempts to smooth talk her, the singer feels a deeper emptiness and dissatisfaction in life.

Then this powdered blue and rented tuxedo
He is dressed to impress but recognizes the superficiality of his appearance.

I need a line
He wants to make an impression on the woman, but recognizes that he needs to be more original than other men who have likely attempted the same thing.

A-something she don't know
He recognizes that the woman is likely frequently hit on, and he needs to find a way to stand out from the crowd.

Cause' she's probably heard them all a thousand times
He recognizes that the woman is likely hit on frequently and he needs to find a more creative way to get her attention.

So I caught her eye
He managed to get the woman's attention.

For the next song
The next song on the jukebox began to play.

And the waltz replaced
The new song was a waltz.

The tango like she knows that I don't belong
The waltz replaced a tango, which was a reminder to the singer of his lack of social grace and inability to fit in.

In these shoes
He feels out of place or awkward.

I feel all wrong
He is anxious and uncomfortable in his own skin.

But that's just my pride, what have I got to lose?
He realizes that in order to pursue the woman he must put aside his personal pride and take a risk.

Well last call called
The bar made a final announcement indicating it was time to leave.

But I didn't hear
The artist was too focused on the woman to notice the announcement.

I was too busy looking
His attention was focused solely on her.

At her across the remnants of my beer
He continued staring at her, even as the remnants of his drink remained on the table.

She stood to leave
The woman finished her drink and made a move to leave.

And then it all came clear
In that moment, the artist realized the importance of the woman to him.

That life without her was all I had to fear
He realized that a life without her was emptier and more frightening than anything he could experience with her.

You must have angels on your shoulders
The singer directly tells the woman that he sees her as angelic.

Their light wherever you may be
Her presence still seems to light up every space she enters.

She asks me would I like to show her?
She indicates a willingness to spend more time with the artist.

I think I might be just the guy you need.
The artist is hopeful that he can fill the emotional void the woman may be experiencing.