When you can’t get what you want and you can’t be with who you want to be with, what do you do? For Stonefree’s vocalist Miro Valera, you write about it and you turn it into a song.
The band’s hit song Anghel was inspired, literally and figuratively, by angels and that feeling you get when you dream of being with someone who seems way out of your league. “Si anghel sa lupa at si hampas sa lupa,” Miro tells Summit OG in an exclusive interview.
“‘Yun ‘yung kwento niya, mala-telenovela,” he adds.
The song was released in 2006 and was included in Stonefree’s sophomore album Delorean. It has been played more than six million times on Spotify as of writing.
Miro reveals the song was inspired by a lot of pop culture references like the Hollywood film "Back to the Future". “May kanya doon na 'Earth Angel' from the soundtrack,” he said. “Isang hugot na ‘yun.”
He also said the band was a huge fan of "Darna" during that time. “Angel Locsin was our, that time, na local superhero, si Darna,” he explains. “Isa nanaman ‘yun, angel nanaman.”
But apart from the pop culture references, the song was also based on Miro’s personal experience. “Medyo personal experience siya na, hindi naman umabot sa point na, ‘Bibigyan kita ng limpak-limpak na salapi, layuan mo lang ang anak ko,’” he joked. “Hindi naman umabot sa ganon, pero muntik na.”
“I was looked down upon nung pamilya ‘cause they wanted, siguro, a corporate dude for their daughter,” he recalled. “Ako ‘banda-banda lang’ kaya medyo doon ‘yung hugot non.”
“Pwede bang alisin mo ‘yang pakpak mo? Baliin mo ‘yan para dito ka lang,” he added. “Selfish diba? Pero, gusto mo kasi talaga siyang makasama eh.”
A lot of me-and-you-against-the-world telenovelas also came out during that time, which also served as inspirations for the song. “We’re suckers for telenovelas,” Miro admitted.
The band did not expect the song to be a big hit. “Sa aming apat, tough act to follow ‘yung mga songs na lumabas from the first album,” he said. “Meron din ‘yung ‘sophomore album’ curse.”
“We just performed the song wherever we can, hanggang sa may mga artista nang sumasabay sa amin sa mga noontime shows. Unexpected siya, pero pinagtrabahuhan din naman kasi.”
The title of the song isn’t Anghel sa Lupa
“Kumabit ‘yung title na Anghel sa Lupa—people are calling the song Anghel sa Lupa, when in fact, it’s Anghel,” Miro explained. “Probably because ‘yung phrasing ko sa chorus. Pero it’s really, kausap mo si anghel: ‘Anghel, sa lupa, mananatili ka.’”
Because the phrase ‘anghel sa lupa’ became so popular, the band would sometimes use that title, especially on the banners they use during gigs and concerts.
People also called him that phrase when they see him around. “Sa kalye, ang tawag sa akin, ‘Uy, si anghel sa lupa!’ hindi Miro Valera,” he said.
“The song catapulted the band into mainstream,” Miro added. “Nakabit na sa akin ‘yung ‘anghel sa lupa’ na label—Anghel sa Lupa of Pinoy Rock.”
Miro also got to sing it at a bridal march. “Sobrang hindi mo akalain na mararating niya ‘yung status na ‘yun.”
“Sobrang blessing siya na na-touch namin ‘yung buhay ng ibang tao with one song,” he said.
Watch Miro’s songwriting process in this exclusive Summit OG interview:
What’s your favorite line from Stonefree’s "Anghel sa Lupa?" Share it in the comment section! Or better yet, tag that special anghel sa lupa in your life right now.
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