Send Me an Angel (Real Life song)

"Send Me an Angel" is a 1983 song by Australian band Real Life. The song was released in May 1983 as the band's debut single from their debut studio album Heartland. The song peaked in the top 10 in Australia and is the band's best-known song. This version peaked in early 1984 in the US at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.^[5] The song was No. 1 in Germany and New Zealand and Top 10 in other countries.

"Send Me an Angel"
1983 Spain release
Single by Real Life
from the album Heartland
B-side	"Like a Gun" (original release) "Always" (1989 reissue)
Released	May 1983 (AUS)[1] November 1983 (USA)[2] 1989 (re-release)
Genre	Synth-pop[3] new wave[4]
Length	3:53
Label	Wheatley Curb MCA Intercord Ariola
Songwriter(s)	David Sterry Richard Zatorski
Producer(s)	Ross Cockle
Real Life singles chronology
"Send Me an Angel" (1983) "Openhearted" (1983)

In the US, "Send Me an Angel '89" surpassed the original version from 1983. "Send Me An Angel '89" reached a peak of No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the summer of 1989 in the US.^[5]

The song features in the soundtracks of the American movies Rad (1986), Teen Wolf Too (1987) and The Wizard (1989).

Track listing

7" single (WRS-001)

1. Send Me an Angel – 3:53
2. Like a Gun – 3:16

12" single

1. Send Me an Angel (Extended Dance Mix) – 5:40
2. Send Me an Angel – 3:53
3. Like a Gun – 3:14

12" Maxi-Single

1. Send Me an Angel (Extended Mix) – 5:43
2. Send Me an Angel – 3:53
3. Burning Blue – 4:43

Charts

Original version Weekly charts Chart (1983–1984) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[6][7] 6 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[8] 9 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[9] 18 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[10] 1 Spain (AFYVE)[11] 19 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[12] 2 US Billboard Hot 100[13] 29 US Cash Box Top 100[14] 22 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[15] 54 West Germany (GfK)[16] 1 Year-end charts Chart (1983) Position Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] 26 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[17] 8 Chart (1984) Position Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] 27 West Germany (Official German Charts)[19] 7

"Send Me an Angel '89" Chart (1989) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[20] 51 New Zealand (RIANZ)[21] 22 US Billboard Hot 100[13] 26 US Cash Box[22] 20 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[15] 5

Cover versions

"Send Me an Angel" has been covered by various artists including:

• Netzwerk on their 1992 EP Send Me an Angel^[23]
• Pobi on the 1993 album Send Me An Angel. Some of the lyrics were altered to be from the perspective of the other party in the song^[24]

• Atrocity on their 1997 cover album Werk 80^[25]
• Zeromancer on their 2001 album Eurotrash^[26]
• Thrice for the 2002 compilation Punk Goes Pop, which later appears on the 2005 compilation If We Could Only See Us Now^[27]
• Deadstar Assembly on their 2003 self-titled debut album^[28]
• XO Stereo on their 2015 EP The Struggle^[29]
• Highly Suspect on their 2016 album The Boy Who Died Wolf^[30]
• Gunship, released as a standalone single in 2023.^[31]

See also

• List of number-one hits of 1984 (Germany)
• List of number-one singles from the 1980s (New Zealand)