Upon hearing the opening notes of The Artisanals’ “Angel 42,” I was reminded of The Beatles’ Eastern spirituality phase- and I immediately fell in love with this song.
I adored the hippie vibes – it instantly put me in a good mood. While listening, I was transported to a picturesque meadow full of flowers and sunshine, dancing with all the other hippies who can’t deny the brilliance of this song. With such a calming melody, there’s no way to listen to this song and not be lifted into a better mood.
The Artisanals provide a kitschy and unique story of lovers enjoying simple moments with each other, caught up in each other’s eccentricity. The happy-go-lucky atmosphere found within this song created such a vivid mini-movie playing in my mind – I love the image of two individuals soaking up every moment with each other for the pure enjoyment of the present.
The visions mentioned in this song – like, singing by a river and going to an Eastern monastery – are a dream come true for the little hippie inside of me. If you even remotely enjoy the hippie aesthetic, then you’re going to fall in love with this song.
I appreciate the weirdness in life, so hearing the unusual lines found in this song was an absolute thrill for me.
Tourists in a gambling town with a bandana on your head
literally makes me want to wear a bandana, find a small town, and pretend to know how to gamble. Many of the visions described are so random, yet completely appealing and descriptive.
Delaware sings,
Psilocybin mushrooms wearing off
But it hung around in our eyes.
I felt the mention of psychedelic drug use was a great way to convey the high you get when being with a soul mate, or “kindred spirit,” as he sings. The singer, Johnny Delaware, has said that he wrote the song for a girl he met a couple years ago. They spent a lovely weekend together and connected deeply, he says, and the ‘42’ in the song references the girl’s favorite number.
I think it’s absolutely wonderful that while this song draws from a very personal experience, it still has the ability to connect with an audience. The little experiences he sings about (“Laying under the popcorn ceiling, we traced out the designs,” for example) give the song an inimitable, poetic, quality.
This song gives me a feeling of missing someone- like when you’re driving down the road and you get into deep thought about an old friend or lover. It’s that nostalgic feeling you get when you’re reminiscing of the ‘good ole days.’
There’s a slight bitter taste found in the song when he sings,
There is no song that I could sing to get next to you
because the narrator recalls his angel, and their time spent together, with obvious fondness.
The message I got from this song is one of appreciating the moment and reveling in the quirkiness of life- two practices I think we all may benefit from adhering to more often.
The beauty of this song is in its classic sound, reminiscent of acts like The Byrds, The Beatles, and Tom Petty, yet still completely unique thanks to its quirky lyrics. This upbeat oddball of a song brings the feel-good sunshine vibes in immense waves of folksy-sound. It’s the perfect soundtrack for a picnic, a party, a day at the beach, or just chilling on your couch.
I don’t think you can listen to this song and not have your spirits lifted.
“Angel 42” is one of those songs that is just lovely all around – the lyrics and sound mesh together so well to create the ideal free spirit aesthetic for its narrative.
I can honestly say I’ll be obsessed with this song for a while- and oddly, I still really want to wear a bandana now.
