About The Song
Willie Nelson’s Seven Spanish Angels is a duet song with American musician Ray Charles. The song was penned by Troy Seals and Eddie Setser and was originally released in November 1984 for Charles’ album titled Friendship. In 1985, Willie Nelson included the song in his compilation album titled Half Nelson.
According to the songwriters, it was Setser who suggested the title, and the whole theme of the song was written by Seals as a tribute to the Tejano-flavored classic hits of Marty Robbins like El Paso. The song was about a tragic and heartbreaking story of an outlaw and his lover trying to outrun armed men who were sent to return them to Texas. Before the commencement of the final gunfight, the couple embraced each other believing that God will spare them. But the outlaw was immediately shot and killed, and his lover followed.
When Seals and Setser finished the song, they didn’t know who was going to record it since Marty was dead. But two days later, the song was pitched to country music legend Willie Nelson to which the musician readily reserved the song. But before he was able to record it, producer Billy Sherrill heard the demo and wanted the song for Ray Charles. Since the song had already been reserved, Sherrill proposed a duet.
The voices of two phenomenal country music artists made an alternating combination for the verse; then Ray Charles sang both first and second choruses while Nelson joined in for the outro. The song received a warm recognition from fans earning Charles another chart-topping hit and his most successful as well on the country chart.
In 2015, Alison Krauss and Jamey Johnson performed the famous duet in honor of Willie Nelson during the Gershwin Prize Awards Ceremony. The award was dedicated to celebrate the artist’s six-decade career. Nelson got emotional watching the collaboration, which was one of the most emotional renditions of the song.
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Lyrics
He looked down into her brown eyes
And said “say a prayer for me”
She threw her arms around him
Whispered, “God will keep us free”
They could hear the riders comin’
He said, “this is my last fight
If they take me back to Texas
They won’t take me back alive”
There were seven Spanish angels
At the altar of the sun
They were prayin’ for the lovers
In the valley of the gun
When the battle stopped and the smoke cleared
There was thunder from the throne
And seven Spanish angels
Took another angel home
She reached down and picked the gun up
That lay smokin’ in his hand
She said, “Father, please forgive me
I can’t make it without my man”
And she knew the gun was empty
And she knew she couldn’t win
But her final prayer was answered
When the rifles fired again
There were seven Spanish angels
At the altar of the sun
They were prayin’ for the lovers
In the valley of the gun
When the battle stopped and the smoke cleared
There was thunder from the throne
And seven Spanish angels
Took another angel home
There were seven Spanish angels
At the altar of the sun
They were prayin’ for the lovers
In the valley of the gun
When the battle stopped and the smoke cleared
There was thunder from the throne
And seven Spanish angels
Took another angel home
There were seven Spanish angels
At the altar of the sun
They were prayin’ for the lovers
In the valley of the gun
When the battle stopped and the smoke cleared
There was thunder from the throne
And seven Spanish angels
Took another angel home