Title of a song by the
Irish band
The Frames, from their second album "
Fitzcarraldo". This song is often talked about during gigs etc, where the lead singer tells us roughly the following story:
When he was about 14 there was this girl who lived in the apartment beside him. He was crazy about her but whenever he tried to talk to her, his face lit up like a Christmas light. So he always had to watch her from a distance. Anyway one night he's at home, there's a knock on his door and it's her. She didn't have a key, her parents weren't at home and neither were his. So he invited her in... for a cup of tea... she was drunk but he just couldn't believe he was sitting face to face with this object of his desire. And of course the song portrays him as the valiant knight who comes to rescue this angel who's sitting across the table from him (he jokes about this... really all she needed was the key to her apartment). It makes a better song this way though.
The lyrics are below for those of you who are so inclined to read them (given the above story, a lot of it sounds like wishful thinking, but it's all part of the charm of frontman Glen Hansard):
There's an angel at my table
She's broke away; she's packed her things; she's head out
I'm the only one she'll turn to...
But there's a devil on my shoulder
And he's tellin me she's so beautiful and I should
Go up there and hold her
She's lookin on
How can I stay here?
It wouldn't be what she wants!
But I'm tryin to break it easy...
But she's pleadin with me
Chorus:
Will you be my anchor
When there is no one around to hold me down?
Will you be my anchor?
I know you're not the answer!
There's an angel at my table
She's blessed the breeze that blows inbetween her and everything
She left on that table
I wish she'd come down
Cos that devil's on my shoulder...
And he's pullin me down........
And I'm tryin to keep a balance...
But she's beggin' me:
(Chorus)
There's an angel at my table
She said I'm the only one she'll turn to...