Seven Spanish Angels is a duet by two music legends: Willie Nelson and Ray Charles.
Willie Nelson is an icon of country music. He is both a songwriter and singer. In a radio interview from 1996, he revealed he wrote and co-wrote Crazy, Funny How Time Slips Away and Night Life within one week. To date, Nelson has written more than 2,500 songs, recorded more than 250 albums and appeared in more than 25 films. At the age of 91, Nelson is still touring.
Willie Nelson Biography
Ray Charles pioneered the soul music. While he was with ABC, Charles became one of the first black musicians to be granted artistic control by a mainstream record company. As a songwriter, Charles penned nearly 200 songs. He also operated his own publishing companies, Tangerine Music and Racer Music. On the Billboard Hot 100, Charles had 80 hits between 1958 (the year the chart began) and 1990, when I'll Be Good to You became his last Hot 100 single, reaching No. 18. Charles passed away in 2004.
Ray Charles Biography
Seven Spanish Angels was written by Troy Seals and Eddie Setser, and recorded by Ray Charles as a duet with Willie Nelson. It was released in November 1984 as a single from Charles' 1984 album Friendship. Charles and Nelson split the verses, with Charles singing the first and Nelson the second, Charles sang the first and second choruses with Nelson joining for the outro. It was also included on Nelson's 1985 compilation album Half Nelson. Seven Spanish Angels was the most successful of Charles' eight hits on the country chart. The single spent one week at number one and a total of twelve weeks on the country chart.
The lyrics of the among are simple yet tell a timeless story of a tragic love. This is a type of story that is told in every genre of music and in many literary venues such as Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
SEVEN SPANISH ANGELS
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He looked down into her brown eyes
And said "Say a prayer for me"
She threw her arms around him
Whispered "God will keep us free"
They could hear the riders comin'
He said "This is my last fight
If they take me back to Texas
They won't take me back alive"
There were seven Spanish Angels
At the Altar of the Sun
They were prayin' for the lovers
In the Valley of the Gun
When the battle stopped and the smoke cleared
There was thunder from the throne
And seven Spanish Angels
Took another angel home
She reached down and picked the gun up
That lay smokin' in his hand
She said, "Father please forgive me
I can't make it without my man"
And she knew the gun was empty
And she knew she couldn't win
But her final prayer was answered
When the rifles fired again
There were seven Spanish Angels
At the Altar of the Sun
They were prayin' for the lovers
In the Valley of the Gun
When the battle stopped and the smoke cleared
There was thunder from the throne
And seven Spanish Angels
Took another angel home
ANALYSIS:
The Meaning Behind the Powerful Song “Seven Spanish Angels” by Ray Charles and Willie Nelson