Frank Turner
Frank Turner
Frank Turner
Frank Turner
Frank Turner
Frank Turner
Frank Turner
Frank Turner
Frank Turner
Frank Turner
Frank Turner & Esmé Patterson
Frank Turner
“The Angel Islington” continues from where “Broken Piano” left off at the end of Tape Deck Heart, and in many ways serves as a counterpoint to that song. The song is given a strong sense of place by the many references to London’s geography. The city is personified as the Angel Islington. The narrat...
[Verse 1]
By the waters of the Thames
I resolved to start again:
To wash my feet and cleanse my sins
To lose my cobwebs on the wind
To fix the parts of me I broke
To speak out loud the things I know:
I haven't been myself
[Verse 2]
Wandering Rosebery Avenue
I could only think of you
Facing Samuel Johnson down
A soul to wear down London Town
A glance to take the breath away
And drag me south from Holloway
You and no one else
[Verse 3]
I'm the king of a kingdom of mistakes
I've broken all the things that I could break
Fuck the fishing, I will abdicate
And meet you on the corner of Upper Street and the City Road
And you, of course, the Angel Islington...
Ah, come on, a boy could hope
By the waters of the Thames
I resolved to start again
The Angel Islington was written by Frank Turner.
The Angel Islington was produced by Butch Walker.
Frank Turner released The Angel Islington on Thu Jan 01 2015.
The song is an optimistic sequel to both “The Fisher King Blues” and “Broken Piano”.
The titular character of “The Fisher King Blues” is the narrator of “The Angel Islington”. In turn, “The Angel Islington” picks up exactly where “Broken Piano” left off. There are many lyrical threads running betwe...
Not as such. Both personify the Angel Islington, but Neil Gaiman’s character, originally played by Peter Capaldi, bears no clear resemblance to the one in this song.
In real life, Angel is a Tube station in Islington, London.
In the song, it seems to represent London itself, and inspires the Fisher King to fix himself and start again.