angel

(Tyler/D. Child)

This was a huge hit for Aerosmith, a ballad that packs quite a punch and goes
straight to the heart. But the key to why the songs worked so well is in the words.

When you say the word "angel", it naturally has a slightly longer "a" syllable in the
beginning. So in everyday conversation, it's normal to pronounce it as "a-ngel". In
this song, that is just exaggerated to form the chorus, and it sounds natural and
melodic because the technique is based on the way we are used to hearing it.
Exaggerating or highlighting the way words are pronounced, or any characteristics
they may have is a great way to build melodies that automatically connect with
people listening. And in this case, the music supports the way the words are used
beautifully.

Speaking of the music, its' just one emotional chord progression after another.
There really isn't a break at all as they drive the emotion home throughout the entire
song. "The Big Three" technique* is used a lot in different forms, especially when it
comes to the chorus. For the melody, one technique is to start it in a very similar way
to how the chorus does. So if you listen to both, you can notice that they both start out
with basically the same rhythm. For example, "I'm alone", and "I'm in tears", have the
one two three pattern, and that is used in "you're my angel", except of course, the "a"
in angel is drawn out. What's interesting is that Steven Tyler got some help writing
this from Desmond Child, who is famous for drawn out phrases. (He added the
"ba-ad, ba-ad medicine B part to the chorus of "Bad Medicine" for Bon Jovi too).

The bridge is a great break from the flow of the song, but it also manages to
maintain that driving guitar in the background, which is brilliantly played to mirror the
chorus at the end of the song. Also listen to Tyler's vocals as he adds the tag lines at
the end of the phrases to guide the song's ending and keep the interest going. I've
talked to many people who say that this is their favorite Aerosmith song, and with all
that they've accomplished, that is saying a lot!

*To learn more about the "Big Three" technique and how you can use it in your
songs, check out the Ultimate Songwriting Course, the Basic Course, and the
Deluxe Course, in the Courses section.

Click here to see how I can help you become the
ultimate songwriter!