“Touch by an Angel” is Track 4 on the Sweet November Motion Picture Soundtrack (2001). It is an outtake from the Trouble in Shangri-La sessions.
About the Song
Stevie Nicks recorded “Touched by an Angel” for Trouble in Shangri-La, but did not include the song on the completed album. The song preceded the release of Trouble in Shangri-La by six months, first appearing on a Reprise Records promo CD for the 2000 ACLU Bill of Rights Awards Dinner, which was held on December 14, 2000. The song was commercially available for the first time on February 6, 2001, appearing on theSweet November Motion Picture Soundtrack.
“Touched by an Angel” is partly about Fleetwood Mac reuniting for The Dance performance in 1997.
In that very moment, everyone was silent
And everyone was friendly for the first time in years
Everyone was smiling though their pain was apparent
And the floor was wet and slippery with the tracks of their tears
Part of the song alludes to Stevie’s feelings about the AIDS epidemic. She shared the following poem and sentiments on her official website:
“On the 4th day of compassion I was impressed to write a poem about AIDS and about the angel that I do believe in my heart is there for us! I call her the ‘passageway angel’. The next night I typed it up from my notes, and added the last verse.”
And walking through the
Room together
In suspended animation
No one saw us go
No one said goodbye
And from my heart
I leave behind
Great expectations
And that you find the answers
To your questions
And that life will once more
Be a celebration
And that you
Will be touched
By an angel
“This song holds a very special place in my heart. I hope you enjoy it!”
“That was one of my very favorite songs and when they told me I had to cut down from 16 songs to 12 [for this CD] I was horrified. The only reason I let ‘Touched By An Angel’ go was because they said, ‘We have a great movie that it could go in and it’ll have its own little starring role.’ It’s about AIDS and about the angel that I believe is with us all that takes you through to the next side. And so it was a very precious song to me. And the other three that didn’t make the record I pulled back to redo next year with Fleetwood Mac.”
Lyrics
And when she walked in the room after so many years
He looked up and saw her
He was standing at the crossroads
She was moving in slow motion
Everything was the same
Except that everything was different
In that very moment, everyone was silent
And everyone was friendly for the first time in years
Everyone was smiling though their pain was apparent
And the floor was wet and slippery with the tracks of their tears
And then I see someone standing at the side of the stage
Not standing in the shadows, I see her face
Glowing in the darkness in her own angel way
I have come to make you better
I have come to take you away
No one slipped and fell this time everyone was steady
Someone held my arm so that I would not fall
For the first time in a long time everyone was ready
No one said a word and that simply said it all
And then I see someone standing at the side of the stage
Not standing in the shadows, I see her face
Glowing in the darkness in her own angel way
I have come to make you better
I have come to take you away
I’ll make you better
Walking through the room together in suspended animation
No one saw us go, no one said goodbye
But in my heart I leave great expectations
That you will find the answers to your questions
And that life will once more be a celebration
And that you will be touched by an angel
And that you will be touched by an angel
And that you will be touched by an angel
Celebration
Someday, someday
Celebration
(Stevie Nicks) 2001 © Welsh Witch Music. Admin Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Produced by John Shanks
