“Angels Rock Me to Sleep” is a bluegrass gospel song associated with Bill Monroe, who recorded it with his Blue Grass Boys in 1951 and to whom it is generally credited. It comes from the period in which Monroe was assembling the body of sacred quartet numbers that became a permanent part of the bluegrass tradition.
The song’s appeal lies in a contrast typical of bluegrass gospel: a bright, briskly moving arrangement set against a lyric about death and the soul’s rest, the title image asking that angels rock the believer to sleep. That pairing of energy and solemnity has kept it a satisfying piece for harmony singing.
The Bluegrass Cardinals recorded “Angels Rock Me to Sleep” on their 1980 gospel album Sunday Mornin’ Singin’, one of many groups to carry Monroe’s sacred material forward. The song remains a staple of the gospel sets that bluegrass bands traditionally include in their performances.
