Angel (Song)

Angel (often mistitled as Arms of the Angel or In the Arms of the Angel) is a 1998 popular song by Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan.

The song was inspired by a Rolling Stone article that Sarah had read, about the pressures of the music industry, and how many musicians turned to heroin to deal with them (and tragically died as a result, most notably Jonathan Melvoin, a keyboardist for the Smashing Pumpkins, who died of an overdose in 1996). At least one notable entertainer, Darryl McDaniels (best known as DMC of the rap group Run-DMC), who had fallen into a depression, credited the song with saving his life (he and Sarah, who are both adoptees, later collaborated on projects supporting adoptees' rights).

However, the song is best noted for its use in fundraising commercials (featuring shelter animals) for the ASPCA, as Sarah is a major supporter of the organization.