Where Angels Play

Come with me to a place no eyes have ever seen
A million miles from here where no-one's ever been
God-given grace and a holy heaven face
I'm on the edge of something shattering
I'm coming through

'Ok let's fly' she says, 'This carpet's made for two'
'This ugly little box, no place for me and you'
Our carpet falls
On a dew-freshed apple glade
Take a look around, there's something happening
All the colours fade

I don't want you now, bang bang bang, gone ooooh
I don't need you now, the seeds are sown ooooh
Bang bang pretty pretty
Bang bang

I don't think so, no no
I don't think so, no no
Bang bang
Bang bang

Down below the country rolls like a mighty boiling sea
The warm red sun gives up and sinks into the trees
But I'm no fool
I can't stand here betrayed
Take a look around there's something happening
All the colours fade

I don't want you now, bang bang bang, gone ooooh
I don't need you now, the seeds are sown ooooh
Bang bang pretty pretty
Bang bang

I don't think so, no no
I don't think so, no no
Bang bang
Bang bang

Earlier version from 1987:

Come with me to a place no eyes have ever seen
A world where all are free to sing out their dreams
Where angels play
Heart-shaped tambourines
And the birds sing out the sweetest song
You have ever seen

'Ok let's fly' she says, 'This carpet's made for two'
'This ugly little box, no place for me and you'
Our carpet falls
On a dew-freshed apple glade
And the band strike up the sweetest song
That was ever made

And so we watched in awe
The wonders that unfurled
Tease with hair and twist with legs
we gave each other a pearl

Where angels play
Heart-shaped tambourines
And the birds sing out the sweetest song
That you have ever seen

Song
The sweetest song
The sweetest song
The sweetest song
The sweetest song
The sweetest song
The sweetest song
Angels, angels, angels
Angels, angels, angels
Where angels play
Where angels play
Where angels play
Where the angels play, there's tambourines
Where the birds sing out the sweetest song we have seen

Lyrics by:
Squire / Brown

Music by:
Squire / Brown

Written:
1987

Personnel:
John Squire (guitar)
Ian Brown (vocals)
Gary Mounfield (bass)
Alan Wren (drums)

Produced by:
John Leckie

Available on:
I Wanna Be Adored single (as b-side)
Turns Into Stone (4.15)
The Complete Stone Roses (4.15)

First live performance:
In 1987

Pseudonyms:
'I Don't Want You Now'

Details:
Where Angels Play is one of the band's finest b-sides. The performance of this song at Blackpool captures the band at a zenith in their playing, in particular 3.00 - end. I would strongly recommend buying the CD bootleg ahead of the video to hear this piece (and indeed the rest of the concert) in its full glory.

For detailed analysis on the religious symbolism in this song, click here.

As John Leckie revealed in his interview with TITD, the released version was unfinished - Silvertone dug out a rough mix with a guide vocal.

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