Originally coming to fame in the mid-1960s singing orchestral pop ballads as the frontman of The Walker Brothers, Walker went on to a solo career balancing a light entertainment/MOR ballad approach with increasing artistic innovations in arrangement and writing. Despite a series of acclaimed albums, a disastrous drop in sales forced him back into straight Middle of the road recordings with little of his own artistic input. This in turn eventually led to a Walker Brothers reunion in the mid-1970s (although the latter eventually moved, by mutual consent, into more avant-garde areas).
From the mid-1980s, Walker revived his solo career while drastically reinventing his artistic and compositional methods, via a series of acclaimed and vividly avant-garde albums. These combined his iconic voice with an unsettling avant-garde approach which owed more to modernist and post-modernist classical composition than to his pop singer past. This change in approach has been compared to "Andy Williams reinventing himself as Stockhausen".
Walker has been a continuing influence on other artists, in particular The Last Shadow Puppets, Marc Almond, Goldfrapp, Douglas Pearce of the band Death in June, Billy MacKenzie of The Associates, David Sylvian, Julian Cope, Antony Hegarty, Thom Yorke, Steven Wilson, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Trey Spruance, Perry Blake, Radiohead, Noah Lennox, Mikael Åkerfeldt, and the Divine Comedy/Neil Hannon.
Walker continued to release solo material until his death, and was signed to 4AD Records. As a record producer or guest performer he worked with a number of artists including Pulp, Ute Lemper, Bat For Lashes and Sunn O))).
Archangel
Scott Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To hear once more
Her footsteps
Down a shadowed corridor
Frightened
You're overdue
The darkest day
Goes on until it's blessed by you
Archangel risin' on the moon
Just to save me from this tomb
I'll cry the tears of time all day
'Til she wipes them all away
Outside my window
On silver druppets children play
I stand here waiting
The dying of an ageless day
Dismiss young couples
Who go home to their knowing bed
And watch the rooftops
Where silent shadows slowly spread
Sleeping their dreamless sleep
They'll never know
What secrets this room keeps
They'll wait when
I'm born again
The rent's been paid
So hurry
Carry me away
Archangel risin' on the moon
Just to save me from this tomb
I'll cry the tears of time all day
'Til she wipes them all away
The lyrics of the song "Archangel" by Scott Walker are cryptic, eerie and sad. The song seems to describe the thoughts and feelings of a lonely, isolated individual, waiting for some sort of spiritual salvation. The opening lines paint a picture of someone longing for a familiar sound, the sound of footsteps down a shadowed corridor. The singer seems afraid and anxious, as if they're running out of time. They appear to be waiting for someone to come and save them from their misery.
The chorus has an apocalyptic feel to it, with the image of an archangel rising on the moon to save the singer from his "tomb", and the persistent crying of tears. This can be seen as a cry for help or a plea for some form of rescue from a tough situation.
The third verse is a vivid description of the outside world, where children play and people go home to their loved ones. The singer, however, is stuck in his room, where he keeps secrets and waits for a rebirth. The final lines of the song are a poignant reference to death, with the singer saying "the rent's been paid, so hurry, carry me away".
Overall, the lyrics of "Archangel" are open to interpretation, and it's clear that the song is meant to evoke a sense of melancholy and longing. It speaks to the human condition of searching for something more, something beyond ourselves, to save us from our inner turmoil.
Line by Line Meaning
Silence
The absence of sound
To hear once more
To experience a sound that has been lost or missed
Her footsteps
The sound produced by the feet of a woman walking
Down a shadowed corridor
Through a dimly lit passage
Frightened
Being scared or afraid
You're overdue
You have not met an expected or required deadline
The darkest day
The gloomiest and most depressing day
Goes on until it's blessed by you
The darkness will persist until you bring your blessings
Archangel risin' on the moon
An angelic being ascending to the moon
Just to save me from this tomb
To rescue the artist from a place of death or imprisonment
I'll cry the tears of time all day
The singer will weep indefinitely
Til she wipes them all away
Until the woman removes his tears
Outside my window
Beneath or beyond the singer's window
On silver druppets children play
Children are playing with small silver droplets
I stand here waiting
The singer is situated and expectant
The dying of an ageless day
The end of a timeless era
Dismiss young couples
Ignore the youthful pairs
Who go home to their knowing bed
The couples are going to a bed that they are familiar with
And watch the rooftops
Observe the tops of the buildings
Where silent shadows slowly spread
The dark forms are gradually expanding noiselessly
Sleeping their dreamless sleep
Peacefully resting without dreaming
They'll never know
They will not be conscious of
What secrets this room keeps
The undisclosed mysteries of this place
They'll wait when
They will anticipate
I'm born again
The singer's rebirth
The rent's been paid
The fee has been settled
So hurry
Quickly move
Carry me away
Take me with you
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SCOTT ENGEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mikeclifford2006
I have been listening to Scott Walker since 1964. 'Archangel' is the ultimate record of my life. Can't explain why. It means so much to me. I really don't know why, but put it on a good stereo, examine the lyrics and its the biggest mystery in the world. The Chords are simple: Em, C ,G, B7, chorus C G F. Thanks Scott (Engel) Walker, fantastic.
@annegretheibei69
I love him.
@David-Field.Stuff01
It never ceases to amaze me how much amazing music is being made while you're listening to something else.
@Mikexception
Unique song. Dramatic unbeatable perfection of Scott voice, majestic organs.. I heard it in 1975 and at once I was taken by storm, Still one of few my favourits.
@MrAdriancooke
For me Scott is the voice of the 1960s
@tobalwin
This must be one of the few times a full church pipe organ and an orchestra met on a teen idol b side.Ecstatic near death experience song from someone who truly deserves to be called a singer.
@philipmayer4042
I keep thinking of what you said each time I hear this.
I believe the organ was Westminster Central Hall.
And the chains !!
@gavinreid8351
Albert hall ?
@philipmayer4042
I've finally read "Scott Walker- A Deep Shade of Blue" where it says the organ was the Odeon, Leicester Square, but I still think it was Westminster Central Hall.
The Methodist Central Hall (presumably Westminster) is credited with being on three tracks in "Tilt".
@Me-gs1mp
He said in an interview it was the Albert Hall