For Sage, who is also a poet, actor and visual artist as well as a longtime record label owner (she founded MPress Records in 1996), music has always been her primary form of self-expression. By the age of three she had taught herself to play the piano, and by her teens, she’d won the ASCAP Pop Songwriting Contest. Upon hearing Sage’s winning entry, legendary producer Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T. Rex) told her she was “extremely talented” and offered to produce her demo. While her parents pressed her to go to Stanford University instead, it was an encouraging moment that gave her the confidence to self-produce her first record, MORBID ROMANTIC.
On the milestone of her tenth album, Sage admits, “I started writing songs to make sense of being bullied in school. I never envisioned music taking me around the world, or that one day I’d play the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Being part of the indie community is humbling though…it keeps you grounded.” Sage, who has collaborated with Phil Ramone and shared stages with Judy Collins, Marc Cohn, The Animals, Shawn Colvin and Sarah McLachlan, has had a prolific career both as a musician and entrepreneur. This year Sage produced the fourth volume of MPress' annual charity compilation series, NEW ARRIVALS, benefiting homeless youth, while her label had its first Billboard charting and Grammy® nominated releases.
HAUNTED BY YOU was tracked with members of Sage’s touring band The Sequins: Quinn (drums), Dave Eggar (cello), Russ Johnson (trumpet), and also features guitarists James Mastro (Patti Smith), Mark Bosch (Ian Hunter) and Jack Petruzelli (Rufus Wainwright); bassists Todd Sickafoose (Ani DiFranco) and Mike Visceglia (Suzanne Vega); mandolin player David Immergluck (Counting Crows); and drummer Doug Yowell (Duncan Sheik). Singer-songwriters Dar Williams, Lucy Woodward, Katie Costello, Ryan Hommel and Seth Glier – as well as actor/director Joshua Leonard – also make guest appearances; John Shyloski (Johnny Winter) and Kevin Killen (Elvis Costello) engineered.
Unlike Sage’s previous albums, including 2009’s critically acclaimed DELANCEY STREET, much of HAUNTED BY YOU was composed on guitar. “I pushed myself to pick up guitar to write this record because I was scared of it and took that as a cue.” The title track, along with “Abby Would You Wait”, “Invisible Light”, “Hey Nah” and “Everything”, were all penned by Sage on a 1966 Martin acoustic inherited from an ex. “I gave myself a pass to try something brand new, and to make mistakes that would hopefully yield something more visceral.”
Sage wrote the dozen songs on the album after separating from her boyfriend of four years, whom she describes as “the kindest, most balanced person I’ve ever dated. He was much more traditional than me though…touring slowly took its toll." Alone, reflecting on her breakup, the 3-time Independent Music Award winner found herself suddenly prolific. “California”, “The Sequin Song” and “Confession” show a more vulnerable, raw side of the singer, reckoning with her newfound freedom, as well as inevitable loneliness.
“After my breakup I had an intense affair with someone I met overseas. I was swept off my feet…but it was an impossible situation.” Strained by long-distance, Sage eventually felt pressured to break off what had become a tumultuous wave of cross-continental phone calls and emails. “Soulstice”, featuring Counting Crows’ David Immergluck on mandolin, “captures that moment where I was as happy as I’ve ever been, even though it was fleeting.”
The concept of soul-mates reappears throughout the record. Sage wrote the Americana-inspired “Abby Would You Wait” about someone with whom she shared one long conversation after a gig, but with whom she “connected so strongly that I saw an entire future.” Likewise, the lush, acoustic guitar-based “Everything” celebrates the shameless joy of a new attraction, “when all you can see is shimmering possibility.”
“Invisible Light”, which both opens and closes the album in two very different musical arrangements (one featuring Dar Williams on guest vocals), is Sage’s favorite song on the record. “I wrote ‘Invisible Light’ while fantasizing about someone who just effortlessly ‘gets’ me and lets me in completely. I’m definitely ready to have my mind blown by that kind of love.”
Upcoming tour highlights include official showcases at SXSW (Austin, TX), Hotel Café (Los Angeles, CA), Joe’s Pub (New York, NY) and Lincoln Center’s ‘Meet The Artist’ series (New York, NY). In addition, Think Coffee will be presenting Sage’s first art show in a decade at their Bowery & Bleecker location, from May 6-June 3rd. HAUNTED BY YOU is due out in the U.S. in May 2012.
Invincible
Rachael Sage Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it's all that you can do to keep your wits abut yourself
Met him on a Saturday at a funeral buffet
And I should've called the ambulance for help
'Cause I loved him the moment that I saw him
And I knew he was gonna break my soul
And I drown in every puddle that I walk in
People speak in certain tongues when they know you're almost won
And it's all that you can do to keep your country's borders safe
Let him in a little bit just enough to realize
That I had to let him go before he lost his will to give
'Cause I loved him the moment that I saw him
And I knew he was gonna break my soul
And I drown in every puddle that I walk in
'Cause I'm invincible
Give a little more give a little more than you've been used to
Tell me what is gonna happen are you gonna fall down are you gonna break down
From the highest holiest hill give a little more than you've been used to
Tell me what is gonna happen are you gonna fall down like the day back when
When you lost your mind when you lost your will
People look a certain way at a certain time 'o day
And it's all that you can do to keep your wits abut yourself
I loved him the moment that I saw him
And I knew he was gonna break my soul
And I drown in every puddle that I walk in
'Cause I'm invincible
Give a little more give a little more than you've been used to
Tell me what is gonna happen are you gonna fall down are you gonna break down
Give a little more give a little more than you've been used to
Tell me what is gonna happen are you gonna fall down like the day back when
When you lost your mind when you lost your will
The lyrics of Rachael Sage's song Invincible are packed with metaphorical meaning, tackling the complexities of love and the risks we take when we allow ourselves to fall for someone. The opening lines observe how people present themselves differently at different times of the day, and how challenging it can be to maintain a sense of composure when faced with the unpredictability of human behavior. The singer then recounts how she met someone at a funeral buffet, and how even though she knew deep down he would hurt her, she couldn't resist his charm. The line "And I should've called the ambulance for help" foreshadows the emotional pain she knows she'll face as a result of this new relationship.
The chorus "And I drown in every puddle that I walk in 'Cause I'm invincible" is a poignant reflection on the paradoxical nature of being in love. On the one hand, we feel invincible, as if we can take on the world and overcome any obstacle thrown our way. On the other hand, however, we are acutely aware of our vulnerability, the potential for heartbreak, and the knowledge that we may be digging ourselves into a hole that we can't climb out of.
The second verse touches upon the theme of vulnerability once again, and how difficult it can be to let someone in while guarding one's heart. The line "Let him in a little bit just enough to realize That I had to let him go before he lost his will to give" underscores the painful reality that sometimes, walking away from someone we care about is the best thing we can do for both parties involved.
Overall, Invincible is a song that captures the bittersweet aspects of love, showcasing Sage's lyrical prowess and ability to convey complex emotions in a few simple words.
Line by Line Meaning
People look a certain way at a certain time 'o day
People tend to present themselves differently depending on the time of day
And it's all that you can do to keep your wits abut yourself
It's difficult to maintain composure and remain aware of one's surroundings
Met him on a Saturday at a funeral buffet
Encountered him by chance at a post-funeral gathering
And I should've called the ambulance for help
Realized soon after meeting him that getting emotionally involved would be dangerous for her
'Cause I loved him the moment that I saw him
Developed strong feelings for him instantly upon meeting him
And I knew he was gonna break my soul
Understood that getting too close to him would be emotionally damaging
And I drown in every puddle that I walk in
Feels overwhelmed by life's challenges
'Cause I'm invincible
Despite feeling overwhelmed, feels strong and resilient
People speak in certain tongues when they know you're almost won
People can behave differently around someone they wish to impress or manipulate
And it's all that you can do to keep your country's borders safe
Can be difficult to set boundaries and protect oneself in these situations
Let him in a little bit just enough to realize
Allowed herself to become emotionally invested in him until she recognized the danger
That I had to let him go before he lost his will to give
Realized that staying in a relationship with him would be unfair to him and ultimately hurtful to both of them
Give a little more give a little more than you've been used to
Encourages herself to take risks and expose herself emotionally
Tell me what is gonna happen are you gonna fall down are you gonna break down
Fearful of the potential consequences of being emotionally vulnerable
From the highest holiest hill give a little more than you've been used to
Encourages taking emotional risks even when it feels uncomfortable or difficult
Tell me what is gonna happen are you gonna fall down like the day back when
Still fearful of being hurt as she has in the past, but determined to take the risk anyway
When you lost your mind when you lost your will
Referencing a past situation where she was deeply hurt, but has since regained her strength and resolve
Writer(s): RODNEY JERKINS, LASHAWN AMEEN DANIELS, MICHAEL JOE JACKSON, FRED JERKINS III, NORMAN GREGG
Contributed by Aubrey K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.