She began her music career as the singer for an acoustic folk-pop band "The Art Institute", which released one album, "The Holding", on TAI Records. Her self-titled debut in 1996 won considerable attention and its breakout single "All Fall Down" was included in the soundtrack for the TV show "Party of Five." Subsequent albums have not received similar mass media attention but have continued to earn critical plaudits.
In 2007, she self-released three new EPs, containing a total of 15 songs.
Sarah's official website can be found at http://www.sarahmasen.com
Hope
Sarah Masen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We'll be wearing our own skin
We'll be taking off a whole lot more
Just so we can sing
Just so we can sing
Hope is coming out tonight
Knocking at the door
Looking at your soul
Looking at your soul
A peeling and a shedding mind
Changing what we are worth
Blessed are the meek somehow
Taking in the earth
They are taking in the earth
And all this talk of love and peace
And wanting something true
Well peace can cut the rope sometimes
That's holding on to me and you
That's holding on to me and you
Hope is coming out tonight
Knocking at the door
You? ve got to let that stranger in
Looking at your soul
Looking at your soul
No sentimental bags of gold
To occupy the hurt
It? s knowing what the demons sold
When falling to the earth
When falling to the earth
Now I am stretching out across the land
Trying my best to understand
While fear is barking like a dog
But I am holding out my hand
Still holding out my hand
Hope is coming out tonight
Knocking at the door
You've got to let that stranger in
Looking at your soul
Looking at your soul
In Sarah Masen's song "Hope," she uses vivid imagery and metaphors to convey the message that in order to truly experience hope, we must be vulnerable and let go of our defenses. The opening lines, "We'll be taking off our clothes to sing/We'll be wearing our own skin/We'll be taking off a whole lot more/Just so we can sing," suggest that we need to strip away the layers that we use to protect ourselves and allow ourselves to be fully present in the moment. It's only then that we can truly experience hope.
The chorus, "Hope is coming out tonight/Knocking at the door/You've got to let that stranger in/Looking at your soul/Looking at your soul" further emphasizes the idea of letting go of our defenses and allowing hope to enter our lives. Masen suggests that hope is like a stranger knocking at our door, and we must be willing to let this stranger in and allow it to examine our souls. This may require us to confront our fears and insecurities, and to look within ourselves with a new level of honesty and openness.
In the final verse, Masen speaks of "stretching out across the land/trying my best to understand/while fear is barking like a dog/but I am holding out my hand." This suggests that even when we are afraid, we must be willing to reach out and take hold of hope. It may not be an easy journey, and there may be times when fear threatens to overwhelm us, but we must remain steadfast in our pursuit of hope.
Overall, Sarah Masen's "Hope" is a powerful song that encourages us to let go of our defenses and embrace vulnerability in order to truly experience hope. It's a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always the possibility for light to enter our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
We'll be taking off our clothes to sing
We will shed our outer layer to feel more connected while singing.
We'll be wearing our own skin
Instead of hiding behind clothing or makeup, we will embrace our authentic appearance.
We'll be taking off a whole lot more, Just so we can sing
We will let go of any emotional barriers we have to truly express ourselves through music.
Hope is coming out tonight, Knocking at the door, You've got to let that stranger in, Looking at your soul, Looking at your soul
Hope is a powerful force that seeks to connect with us, we need to open ourselves up to it and acknowledge its presence.
A peeling and a shedding mind, Changing what we are worth, Blessed are the meek somehow, Taking in the earth, They are taking in the earth
As we grow and learn, we shed our old beliefs and discover our true value in the world. Those who are humble and open to learning are the ones who truly flourish.
And all this talk of love and peace, And wanting something true, Well peace can cut the rope sometimes, That's holding on to me and you, That's holding on to me and you
While we all yearn for love and peace, sometimes we need to let go of things that are holding us back from achieving that state.
No sentimental bags of gold, To occupy the hurt, It? s knowing what the demons sold, When falling to the earth, When falling to the earth
We can't distract ourselves from our pain with riches, we need to confront and work through it, understanding how our past traumas have affected us.
Now I am stretching out across the land, Trying my best to understand, While fear is barking like a dog, But I am holding out my hand, Still holding out my hand
Even when things are scary or uncertain, we can't close ourselves off. We need to stay open-minded and continue reaching out in order to grow and improve ourselves.
Contributed by Charlie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.