With the title “City of Angels,” you might think this
song captures the beauty and highlights of Los
Angeles. I took the ironic approach, and decided
to cover some of the darker themes of Los Angeles.
Just to clarify, I don’t want to come off as if I’m bashing
L.A., because these themes and issues can be true of
any city. I also don’t want people to think the darkness
is “out there” somewhere in the city, but the darkness
spreads to you and me. It’s in all of us. We might think
our bodies are cities of angels, but when I look into the
heart of my city, I’m no angel.
The verses of this song point out the dark aspects of
L.A., but the chorus starts out affirming the “City of Angels”
slogan. The last line of the chorus ends with a hint of doubt
that maybe L.A. isn’t what he thought it was. Maybe it’s not
the “City of Angels.”
