Chris Reali

The inspiration for “Angels Are All Around” came from a story I read in Oxford American about Ruth Miller, an American artist. It’s funny how reading just one line in a book or magazine can ignite the spark of imagination. I wrote the chorus and first verse on November 6, 2019, and recorded a voice memo the next day. The rest of the lyrics were written on separate days later the same month, although a few of the lines came from a previously incomplete idea. Growing up, I went to Catholic mass on the weekends as well as attending CCD (you can look that up), although I do not consider myself a religious person. But all of that doctrine is part of who I am and every now and again it comes out in my songwriting. Throughout the history of American popular music, particularly in the 20th century, there have been very close musical and sociocultural connections between blues and gospel. And this song sits within that tradition. I was very much aware that writing a lyric with the word “angels” prominently placed in the chorus might suggest religious overtones for some, and that’s fine with me. I consider “Angels Are All Around” a song of faith, but uncertainty lies just beneath the surface—“sometimes” angels “wear their halos, just when we need them most.” In the end, beliefs are what you make of them.