Lord Send Me an Angel
The White Stripes Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Send me an angel down
Can't spare no angel
Will spare you a teasin' brown
Well that new way of loving
Swear to god it must be best
For these Detroit women won't let mr. jack white rest
There's a crowd on the corner
Wonder what could it be
One thing but the womens is trying to get to me
I went down to the station
Suitcase in my hand
All the women run cryin'
Mr. Jack, won't you be my man?
Well there was three women
Yellow, brown and black
Take the mayor of Detroit to pick which one I like
One of 'em Amtrak yellow
One of 'em Detroit brown
But that southwest dark skin sure to turn my damper down
Why, ticket agent ticket agent
Where did my baby go
Tell me what she looks like
I'll tell you what road she's on
Well she's a long tall mama
A mile and a half from the ground
She's a tailor-man mama
And she ain't no hand me down
Well I used to say
Married women
Sweetest women never born
You better change that thing
You better leave married women alone
Take my advice let married women
Boy let 'em be
Cause their husband will grab ya
Beat your ragged ass to cedar street
I got two women
You can't tell 'em apart
I got one in my bosom
And the other is in my heart
Well that one in my bosom
She live in Tennessee
Well that one in my heart
She don't give a darn for me
I'm gonna tell you pretty mama
Exactly who I am




When I walk in that front door
And hear that back door slam

Overall Meaning

"Lord Send Me an Angel" is a song by The White Stripes that pays a homage to Blind Willie McTell's song "Lord Sends Me an Angel". It was recorded by McTell over 60 years ago, and in this iteration, The White Stripes interpret McTell's song in their characteristic music style.


The lyrics of the song depict Mr. Jack White, the singer, in search of love. He laments not being able to find an angel and asks for divine intervention to send him an angel. Meanwhile, the women in Detroit won't let him rest, following him around town hoping for his attention. Mr. White is a smooth talker, reflecting on the new way of love that makes him wonder if it is the best, and he has trouble choosing between three women: Amtrak yellow, Detroit brown, and a Southwest dark-skinned woman. He is cautious about married women, knowing that their husbands might beat him up if they caught him. Mr. White falls for two women, one in his bosom and the other in his heart, but the latter does not care for him. The song ends with Mr. White looking for his next romantic encounter as he walks into the front door and hears the back door slam.


The song's lyrics may be hard to decipher, but they are cleverly written and showcase Jack White's storytelling abilities. The metaphor of an angel for a woman is a common theme in Blues music, and The White Stripes add their unique touch to it, using their signature garage rock sound. The song may not be one of their popular hits, but it shows their commitment to preserving Blues music and paying homage to its originators.


Line by Line Meaning

Send me an angel down
I need some help and guidance from a higher power or greater being.


Can't spare no angel
I can't magically conjure a divine being to come help me, so I'll have to rely on my own devices.


Will spare you a teasin' brown
I can't give you an angel, but I can distract you with something else - in this case, a hint of flirtation and seduction.


Well that new way of loving
I've discovered a new, exciting way of experiencing love and intimacy.


Swear to god it must be best
I truly believe that this new way of loving is the most fulfilling and satisfying way to experience romance.


For these Detroit women won't let mr. jack white rest
The women in Detroit are incredibly alluring and persistent in their pursuit of me, making it hard for me to take a break or find peace.


There's a crowd on the corner
There's a gathering of people nearby, which has caught my attention.


Wonder what could it be
I'm curious and intrigued as to what's happening with the crowd.


One thing but the womens is trying to get to me
The only thing that's really happening with the crowd is that the women are desperate to get my attention and affection.


I went down to the station
I journeyed to the train station for some reason.


Suitcase in my hand
I'm carrying a suitcase, which could imply that I'm traveling or trying to make a quick escape.


All the women run cryin'
When I arrived at the station, all the women there were so sad to see me go that they burst into tears.


Mr. Jack, won't you be my man?
The women are so attached to me that they're asking me to be their partner or lover.


Well there was three women
I was faced with the tough decision of choosing between three different women.


Yellow, brown and black
These three women were of different races or ethnicities.


Take the mayor of Detroit to pick which one I like
Choosing between these women is so difficult that even the mayor of Detroit wouldn't be able to decide for me.


One of 'em Amtrak yellow
One of the women had a light complexion or skin color, like the Amtrak train brand's iconic yellow and blue colors.


One of 'em Detroit brown
One of the women had a darker complexion or skin color, associated with the city of Detroit.


But that southwest dark skin sure to turn my damper down
While I may find darker skin tones attractive, ultimately they may dampen my spirits or bring me down in some way.


Why, ticket agent ticket agent
I'm calling out to the ticket agent, probably for some help or assistance.


Where did my baby go
I'm trying to find out where someone I care about has gone or what has happened to them.


Tell me what she looks like
I need a description of what this person looks like in order to better locate them.


I'll tell you what road she's on
If you can tell me what she looks like, I might be able to figure out where she is and which direction to go.


Well she's a long tall mama
The person I'm looking for is tall and slender, probably with an attractive figure.


A mile and a half from the ground
This person could be metaphorically elevated or above the ground in some way, possibly due to their confidence or status.


She's a tailor-man mama
This person is skilled at designing, creating, or altering clothing in some way.


And she ain't no hand me down
This person is unique, original, and incomparable to anyone or anything else I've ever encountered.


Well I used to say
In the past, I held a certain belief or opinion about something.


Married women
In this case, women who are already in committed relationships or marriages with other people.


Sweetest women never born
I used to think that women who were already married were the most desirable and attractive women in the world.


You better change that thing
I've since realized that this belief is misguided, and I need to change my perspective or actions accordingly.


You better leave married women alone
I need to stop pursuing or becoming involved with women who are already in committed relationships with other people.


Take my advice let married women
This is my advice to others, based on my own experiences and lessons learned.


Boy let 'em be
Just let these women live their own lives, without any additional complications or heartache caused by outside influences.


Cause their husband will grab ya
If you do get involved with someone who's married, their spouse or partner is likely to physically attack or harm you in some way.


Beat your ragged ass to cedar street
This attack could be severe and violent, potentially leading to physical injury or death.


I got two women
I'm currently involved with two different women at the same time.


You can't tell 'em apart
These two women are incredibly similar or indistinguishable from one another in some way.


I got one in my bosom
One of the women is physically close to me, possibly even touching me or in a romantic position with me.


And the other is in my heart
The other woman may not be physically present with me, but I still care for her deeply and hold her in high regard emotionally.


Well that one in my bosom
The one who's physically close to me is the one I'm most intimate with, currently.


She live in Tennessee
This woman is from Tennessee, which could imply some long distance or travel required to maintain the relationship.


Well that one in my heart
The woman I care for deeply but am not currently physically close to is the one I have the strongest emotional bond with.


She don't give a darn for me
Unfortunately, this woman may not reciprocate my feelings or may not be interested in pursuing a deeper relationship with me at this time.


I'm gonna tell you pretty mama
I'm addressing a woman who I find attractive and interesting in some way.


Exactly who I am
I'm going to be honest and straightforward about my identity and personality, hopefully impressing or captivating this woman in the process.


When I walk in that front door
At some point in the near future, I'm going to enter a building or residence through the front entrance.


And hear that back door slam
After I enter, I'll hear the door at the back or rear of the building slam shut - this could be a literal or metaphorical sound, representing something closing or ending in my life.




Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: WILLIE MCTELL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Robyn


on Candy Cane Children

The meaning of this song is basically saying the older you get, the less fun Christmas becomes usually do to adulthood. The lines "don't you know your name?...", probably refers to the adults telling kids to grow up as if they're saying "Do you know how old you are? You're getting too old for this stuff." Probably why he put the lines "nobody knows how to talk to children". Also, he puts the lines "think again" after a thought of one of the kids thinking of wishing to participate in Christmas activities. As if they're thinking "Yeah I probably AM too old for this.." "364 more tears girl" the sadness of getting older. Not participating feels like a missed opportunity and causes even more sadness..

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