Angels of Light include many New York City collaborators, including Dana Schechter of Bee and Flower, Kid Congo Powers of The Cramps, Larry Mullins aka Toby Dammit, Bliss Blood of The Moonlighters and Pain Teens, Thor Harris of Shearwater, and most recently the Brooklyn band Akron/Family.
Gira talks about the Angels project :
I write the songs on acoustic guitar, then gather musicians and friends, and build up the orchestrations with them in the studio and in live performances. I guide the process, but solicit their creative contributions actively. Each recording contains the contributions of an ever-changing plethora of amazing musicians, whom I thank here heartily!
After many years (too many to comfortably contemplate!) of dwelling on "sonic overload" with Swans, I now concentrate on augmenting the songs I write with orchestrations that support the basic song, rather than the sound itself taking over.
My goal is to achieve the same sense of magic I experienced as a child listening to Burle Ives recordings of Brer Rabbit and other such marvels, including the early Disney children's records I listened to long ago.
I view the arrangements as little films created to make a context for the words and voice, so that one can drift off into the world the music creates. I produce the Angels recordings, and the production of the recordings is as important to me as the songs themselves.
Most of the instruments used in the recordings are acoustic, but not all. Electric guitars, bass and drums etc., are sometimes used (as well as an occasional electronic sound, or loop), but I intentionally steer clear of a "Rock" sound. It doesn't interest me at all any more.
However, I have no particular fealty to "The Song" as if it were some sacred codex. On the other hand, just sitting around my house, writing these things, and finally coming up with a statement that I think makes sense, I want to bring them to life as much as possible, in new and challenging ways for both myself and you, so I always strive to present them in a fresh and interesting context.
For this reason, I'm always changing the sonic approach from record to record.
All Angels of Light albums have been released on Michael Gira's label Young God Records.
The name Angels of Light was first used by the spiritual theater group founded by drag queen Hibiscus of The Cockettes. It is not known whether Gira's group was named in homage to Hibiscus's similarly metaphysically-minded group.
New Mother
The Angels of Light Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pluck my eye from your socket
I am the secret sharer
Bleeding knees your covers
Show me the texture of your pregnant tongue
Prepare my mind with emotion
Cut me a delicate soft wet place
I am your new mother beginning
Why am I so cruel?
Why am I so cruel?
Why am I so cruel?
Why am I so cruel?
My body is a contorted accretion
Your body is my only possession
I am a stranger in your stomach
Calling out your name underwater
Feed me with rose-scented honey milk
Configure my mind with your voice of silk
I bring you the gift malignant
I am your new mother beginning
Why am I so cruel?
Why do I love you?
Why are you so beautiful?
Because you are cruel
The lyrics of The Angels of Light's song "New Mother" are hauntingly beautiful and reveal a complicated relationship between two people, where the singer is the "new mother" beginning a new chapter with their partner. The first few lines suggest a disconnect between the two individuals, as the singer asks to have their hand removed from their partner's pocket and their eye plucked from their partner's socket. This could symbolize a need for independence or a desire for their partner to stop hiding things from them.
The singer refers to themselves as the "secret sharer", which could imply that they are carrying a burden or secret within the relationship. The lines "bleeding knees your covers" suggest that the singer is praying or pleading for something, possibly for their partner to open up or to reveal something to them.
The next verse suggests a bond between the two individuals, as the singer asks to be shown the texture of their partner's pregnant tongue and wants their mind to be prepared with emotion. The line "cut me a delicate soft wet place" could be interpreted in various ways, but it could possibly be a metaphor for the singer opening themselves up to their partner or desiring intimacy.
The repeated phrase "why am I so cruel?" could be interpreted as the singer questioning their actions, perhaps wondering if they're being too hard on their partner or if they're being misunderstood. The song ends with the singer referring to themselves as a "gift malignant", suggesting that they bring both good and bad things to the relationship.
Overall, "New Mother" is a complex song that delves into the intricacies of a relationship and the emotions that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Remove my hand from your pocket
I want to distance myself from you and the power you hold over me.
Pluck my eye from your socket
I am willing to undergo any physical pain to be free from your control.
I am the secret sharer
I have secrets that I keep from you, but I also share secrets with you.
Bleeding knees your covers
I am vulnerable and exposed in front of you, seeking comfort and shelter.
Show me the texture of your pregnant tongue
I want to know the true nature of your being and understand you completely.
Prepare my mind with emotion
I need to be emotionally ready to face the challenges ahead.
Cut me a delicate soft wet place
I want to be reborn and transformed through a visceral experience of pain and pleasure.
I am your new mother beginning
I am taking on a new role as your caregiver and nurturer, starting a new chapter in our relationship.
Why am I so cruel?
I am questioning my own motives and actions towards you, wondering if they are justified.
My body is a contorted accretion
I am physically and emotionally twisted, shaped by past experiences and traumas.
Your body is my only possession
I am possessive and jealous of you, seeing you as my only source of love and validation.
I am a stranger in your stomach
I feel disconnected and alienated from you, despite our physical closeness.
Calling out your name underwater
I am reaching out to you in a desperate, suffocating situation.
Feed me with rose-scented honey milk
I am asking for your love and compassion to sustain me through difficult times.
Configure my mind with your voice of silk
I am easily influenced by you, yearning for your guidance and approval.
I bring you the gift malignant
I have a destructive power that I am willing to share with you, as a sign of my love.
Why do I love you?
I am questioning the nature of my feelings for you, trying to understand what draws me to you.
Why are you so beautiful?
I am in awe of your beauty, which captivates me despite the pain it brings me.
Because you are cruel
I am attracted to the darkness within you, seeing it as a mirror of my own pain and suffering.
Contributed by Grace T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.