Dion Dimucci's album version
(There's angels all around)
(There's angels all around)
(There's angels all around)
Do you walk the streets at night
Try to stay beneath the light
Do you sense it as you go
Maybe you are not alone
An angel walks, an angel prays
Here by your side at night unseen in the alleyways
Who guides the hand that comes to play
Like BB King and Stevie Ray
Who takes the pain we didn't choose
Turns it into Chicago Blues
An angel walks, an angel prays
By your side at night down through the alleyways, oh-ho-hu
A junkie cries (yeah yeah) and no one hears (yeah yeah)
A spirit flies (yeah yeah) to dry his tears (yeah yeah)
The bottle owns (yeah yeah) another man (yeah yeah)
Until he takes (yeah yeah) the helping hand (yeah yeah)
A spirit walks, an angel prays
By your side at night unseen through the alleyways
Who knows the spirit who walks beside
To light and guard, to rule and guide
They walk with Peter, they walk with Paul
Wrestled with Jacob and with us all
An angel walks, an angel prays
By your side at night down through the alleyways
Now there's angels all around, I know, don't you
Angels all around, I know, don't you
Times when you can't find the word
It comes to you as if you heard
Someone's voice from long ago
Tells you what you need to know
An angel walks, oh prays
By your side at night, child, down in the alleyways
Well now there's angels all around, I know, don't you
There's angels all around, I know, don't you
(Angels all around)
(Angels all around)
(There's angels all around)
(There's angels all around)
(There's angels all around)
(There's angels all around)...
[Fades out]
ANGEL IN THE ALLEYWAYS is a song written by Dion DiMucci and Mike Aquilina and released on Dion's 2021 album Stomping Ground. The above lyrics are for Dion DiMucci's album version of ANGEL IN THE ALLEYWAYS as released in 2021.
Dion's Stomping Ground was released on 05 Nov 2021 on Keeping The Blues Alive Records, a newly launched label co-founded by Joe Bonamassa, who appears on the album's second single, TAKE IT BACK. The blues album consists of 14 tracks, all featuring guest appearances by notable friends and admirers. It's a follow-up to Blues With Friends, Dion's 2020 album and his debut on the record label.
Bruce Springsteen contributed guitar and harmonica and Patti Scialfa contributed harmony and backing vocals on ANGEL IN THE ALLEYWAYS. Though not credited as such, Springsteen also seems to sing background vocals on the track.
Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa's part was likely recorded sometime in mid-2021 at Stone Hill Studio, Springsteen's permanent recording facility at his horse ranch in Colts Neck, NJ.
ANGEL IN THE ALLEYWAYS is the third single from Stomping Ground. It was released on digital platforms on 13 Oct 2021.
Bruce Springsteen first met Dion DiMucci in October 1975 when he was invited by Phil Spector to watch him work on a Dion single at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, CA. Steven Van Zandt, while touring as a member of the backing band for fifties vocal group The Dovells, had actually played guitar in Dion's backing band at a show in Miami, FL, on 31 Dec 1972. That trip, according to Van Zandt, is the original source of his nickname "Miami" Steve.
On 30 Sep 1976, Springsteen and Van Zandt made an unannounced guest appearance during an encore at Dion's second (late) show at The Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, CA. They provided backing vocals on Dion's THE WANDERER. Dion introduced the pair as "honorary Belmonts". Since then, Dion and Springsteen have shared the stage on several occasions. They have performed together Dion's A TEENAGER IN LOVE and THE WANDERER and Springsteen's IF I SHOULD FALL BEHIND.
Springsteen described Dion as "the link between Sinatra and rock 'n' roll." Dion recorded and released two Springsteen songs IF I SHOULD FALL BEHIND in 1992 and BOOK OF DREAMS in 2000. Springsteen appeared on Dion's 2020 album Blues With Friends, playing guitar on HYMN TO HIM, and on Dion's 2021 album Stomping Ground, playing guitar and harmonica on ANGEL IN THE ALLEYWAYS.
Bruce Springsteen has never performed ANGEL IN THE ALLEYWAYS live.
List of available versions of ANGEL IN THE ALLEYWAYS on this website:
ANGEL IN THE ALLEYWAYS [Dion Dimucci's album version]