Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 23, 2026

Angels Would Fall

"Angels Would Fall" is a song by American musician Melissa Etheridge, released as the first single from her sixth album, Breakdown (1999), on August 31, 1999. The song gave Etheridge her first number-one single on the US Billboard Triple-A chart and peaked at number six in Canada.

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Jul 23, 2026
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"Angels Would Fall"
Single by Melissa Etheridge
from the album Breakdown
B-side
  • "Into the Dark"
  • "Beloved"
ReleasedAugust 31, 1999 (1999-08-31)1
StudioSunset Sound (Hollywood, California)
Length4:39
LabelIsland
Songwriters
Producers
  • Melissa Etheridge
  • John Shanks
Melissa Etheridge singles chronology
"Nowhere to Go"
(1996) 		"Angels Would Fall"
(1999) 		"Scarecrow"
(1999)

"Angels Would Fall" is a song by American musician Melissa Etheridge, released as the first single from her sixth album, Breakdown (1999), on August 31, 1999. The song gave Etheridge her first number-one single on the US Billboard Triple-A chart and peaked at number six in Canada.

Song information

The song was written by Melissa Etheridge with the main guitar loop contributed by John Shanks. It is one of her darkest songs as the singer says herself on the bonus DVD of her album Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled:2

Breakdown was such a dark period in my life that all the songs were turning out so dark that I even had to go to John Shanks who was producing this album, which was one of his first producing projects [...] but it was a very artistic time and the songs were very moody, very dark, and I finally said: "Look, do you have any pieces of music maybe I can write to? Because I am scraping on the bottom of my soul."

"Angels Would Fall" is about a desperate crush Etheridge had on someone else's girlfriend during her shattered relationship with Julie Cypher.3 In the verses, she describes the pain she feels because she can tell nobody about her feelings ("The rope that's wrapped around me is cutting through my skin..."), while in the chorus she is singing the desired person's praises ("Angels never came down [...] but if they knew, if they knew you at all, angels would fall...").

Music video

The music video was shot in 1999 and shows Etheridge playing her song in a dark, empty, saloon-styled bar where the furniture is destroyed like after a fight. In retrospective scenes, nebulous images of people in white dresses come down from the ceiling symbolising the fallen angels. While they fall down, they cause the damage described above. These angels find love in each other, both homosexual and heterosexual couples are formed. Towards the end, the door of the bar opens and the angels go into the light.4

Accolades

Year Award Category Result Ref.
2000 Grammy Award Best Rock Song Nominated 5
Best Female Rock Vocal Performance Nominated

Track listings

All song were written by Melissa Etheridge except "Angels Would Fall", written by Etheridge and John Shanks.

US and Australian CD single67

  1. "Angels Would Fall"
  2. "Into the Dark"
  3. "Beloved"

US 7-inch single and European CD single89

  1. "Angels Would Fall" – 4:17
  2. "Into the Dark" – 4:58

Personnel

  • Melissa Etheridge – acoustic guitar, vocals
  • Kenny Aronoff – drums, marimba, shaker
  • Jon Brion – guitar
  • Mark Browne – bass
  • Matt Chamberlain – drums
  • Steve Ferrone – percussion, drums
  • Rami Jaffee – keyboard
  • Jim Keltner – drums
  • Greg Leisz – guitar, mandolin, lap steel guitar, pedals
  • Brian MacLeod – percussion, drum loop
  • Pino Palladino – bass
  • John Shanks – dulcimer, guitar, harp, marimba, background vocals
  • Patrick Warren – keyboard
  • Gota Yashiki – drum loop

Charts

References

References

  1. "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1314. August 27, 1999. pp. 139, 143, 154.
  2. Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled at 00:48:40
  3. Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled at 00:50:10
  4. The music video on YouTube, published by Universal Music Group
  5. "Melissa Etheridge". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  6. Angels Would Fall (US CD single liner notes). Island Records. 1999. 314 562 345-8.
  7. Angels Would Fall (Australian CD single liner notes). Island Records. 1999. 562 345 2.
  8. Angels Would Fall (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). Island Records. 1999. 314-562 344-7.
  9. Angels Would Fall (European CD single liner notes). Island Records. 1999. 562 344-2.
  10. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  11. "Hits of the World: Canada". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 38. September 18, 1999. p. 74.
  12. "Top RPM Singles: Image 7338". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  13. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Image 7285". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  14. "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Image 8435". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  15. "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  16. "Melissa Etheridge – Angels Would Fall" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  17. "Melissa Etheridge – Angels Would Fall". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  18. "Palmarès de la chanson anglophone et allophone au Québec" (PDF) (in French). BAnQ. September 11, 1999. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 29, 2015. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  19. "Melissa Etheridge Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  20. "Melissa Etheridge Chart History (Adult Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  21. "Melissa Etheridge Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  22. "Melissa Etheridge Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  23. "RPM 1999 Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Retrieved August 16, 2023 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  24. "RPM 1999 Top 50 Rock Tracks". RPM. Retrieved August 16, 2023 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  25. "Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1999". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 7, no. 52. December 24, 1999. p. 47.
  26. "The Best of '99: Most Played Triple-A Songs". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 7, no. 52. December 24, 1999. p. 38.
  27. "Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 2000". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 8, no. 51. December 22, 2000. p. 48.
  • Melissa Etheridge and Laura Morton: The truth is..., Random House 2002
  • Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled bonus DVD
  • Lyrics