Following a few scattered independent releases, done mostly on homemade CDs with hand-drawn art, VanGaalen released Infiniheart in 2004 on Canadian independent label Flemish Eye. Being a collection of songs selected from recordings made in his bedroom/makeshift studio, it was picked up in 2005 by indie label Sub Pop. In late 2005, the album was re-released with a bonus six-song EP entitled Green Beans.
On 22 August 2006, VanGaalen's second album, Skelliconnection, was released in the U.S. on Sub Pop and in Canada on Flemish Eye. The album comprised of new songs as well as tracks previously released on his earlier independent recordings and features exclusive artwork and videos made by VanGaalen. The album was named on the shortlist for the 2007 Polaris Music Prize.
VanGaalen's third studio album, Soft Airplane, was released 9 September 2008.
In 2009, VanGaalen released a full-length album "Snow Blindness is Crystal Antz" under the alias Black Mold.
In 2015, VanGaalen collaborated with Seth Smith of the indie rock band Dog Day on the album Seed of Dorzon.
Chad VanGaalen's Light Information, his sixth record on Sub Pop, was released on 8 September 2017.
As a visual artist, VanGaalen is known for his illustration and animation work. He has animated music videos for folks like J Mascis, Guster, and Holy Fuck.
Sara
Chad VanGaalen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not love not forgotten peace, oh no...
Will you drag me into the heart of a boiling sea?
You can soothe my mind with your silence,
Oh Sara, I hear you calling me...
Sara, wake me up when you're home...
Ah, Sara, wake me up when you're home...
Ah, Sara, wake me up when you're home...
You're a golden beam breaking into the ocean deep...
On a single breathe to be lead to escape, no...
Now you cast your light and exposing same colors, oh...
You consume my mind with your silence,
Oh, Sara, I hear you calling me...
Sara, wake me up when you're home...
Ah, Sara, wake me up when you're home...
Sara, wake me up when you're home...
Ah, Sara, wake me up when you're home...
The lyrics of the song “Sara” by Chad VanGaalen are somewhat abstract and surrealistic in nature. The song seems to be about a person (presumably Sara) who possesses some mystical and magical powers. The first verse talks about how Sara can extract gifts from trees that are beyond the usual gifts of love and peace. It also suggests that she has the ability to take the singer into the heart of a boiling sea, maybe indicating the immense power she holds. The second verse talks about how Sara is a golden beam that is breaking into the deep ocean and can lead the singer to escape. The imagery used here suggests that Sara represents a guiding light that can help the singer find his way to safety. The chorus of the song repeatedly asks Sara to wake the singer up when she returns home, which could mean that the singer longs for Sara's presence and the comfort and protection she brings.
Overall, the lyrics of the song seem to be an ode to the power of magic and the ability of a person to provide comfort and guidance to someone who is lost or in need. This interpretation is supported by the dreamlike and surrealistic imagery used throughout the song.
Line by Line Meaning
You will pull strange gifts from the heart of trees, oh...
You have the ability to extract unique and unusual treasures from the depths of nature.
Not love not forgotten peace, oh no...
Whatever you are seeking is not merely love or a sense of calmness from the past.
Will you drag me into the heart of a boiling sea?
Are you willing to take me on an adventure to a place of great turbulence and intensity?
You can soothe my mind with your silence,
Your quiet presence is enough to bring me peacefulness and tranquility.
Oh Sara, I hear you calling me...
I feel a strong connection to you and your energy.
Sara, wake me up when you're home...
Let me know when you have returned or are nearby.
You're a golden beam breaking into the ocean deep...
You are a radiant and powerful force that enters into the unknown depths of existence.
On a single breathe to be lead to escape, no...
You do not require much to find your way to freedom and release.
Now you cast your light and exposing same colors, oh...
You bring forth illumination and reveal the true colors of things previously hidden or unseen.
You consume my mind with your silence,
Your quiet presence occupies my thoughts and emotions.
Ah, Sara, wake me up when you're home...
Let me know when you return, as I await your presence with eagerness.
Contributed by Lauren J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jwoz8517
Man, more than 10 years ago I listened to this song for the first time, after years I finally, FINALLY, found it again. Such a beautiful song that brings me happiness and nostalgia of the good days. Im gonna marry a girl named Sara one day and sing this to her
@cotilicious2
that line "you consume my mind with your silence" completely kills me
@owlytimbre9103
Absolutely gorgeous unabashed love song. It often makes me cry.
@menmstudiostk
chad vangaalen is the best artist ever. this needs millions of views
@MaxAveris
Diaper island was such a masterpiece
@_sumina
is*
@owlytimbre9103
It does evoke an important time for me... and him.
@MicahBuzanANIMATION
guy's a genius
@dariae5549
I’d stopped listening to new music cause I was in my early 40s and had become too sensitive to the juices of real musical emotion when I first heard this in 2016. A young fella played it who I worked with and I was struck by how beautiful and plain and great this was. This one slipped through the cracks and tattooed my soul against my will and I’ll love it forever as a result.
@badluckrabbit
totally dude. The more I look, the more I'm certain that we've got the best music in human history; it just takes a bit of work to find it.