She is known for the emotional sound of her ballads. Some of her most popular songs include "Angel", "Building a Mystery", "Adia", "Possession", "Fallen", "I Will Remember You", and "World on Fire". Her best-selling album to date is Surfacing, for which she won two Grammy Awards and four Juno Awards.
Her first album Touch was released in September 28, 1988, recorded in 1987-1988, Vancouver, Canada. The album received both critical and commercial success and included the hit song Vox. During this period she co-operated with Tom Ferris and Dean Russel of Moev, who discovered her as a singer. She contributed backing vocals their 1990 album Head Down and embarked on her first national concert tour as an opening act for The Grapes Of Wrath, another Tom Ferris's band.
Her second album Solace (1991) was a real breakthrough in Canada, spawning the hit singles The Path of Thorns (Terms) and Into the Fire and being certified double platinum for sales of 200,000 copies in Canada.
In 1994 her third album Fumbling Towards Ecstasy quietly became Sarah's international breakthrough, scaling the charts in a number of countries. In the United States, the album was a steady seller that stayed in the middle ranges of the pop charts for almost two years.
Sarah's fourth album Surfacing, released in 1997, brought her international success, selling over 11 million copies worldwide. Still in the spotlight from the album, Sarah launched the highly popular Lilith Fair tour, which helped launch the careers of several well-known female artists.
Her next record Afterglow came out in 2003; it contained the singles Fallen, Stupid, and World On Fire. It was her first album of new material in six years. Sarah took a few years furlough to start a family with her husband and drummer, Ashwin Sood.
Her Holiday album Wintersong came out in October 2006. The album consists of eleven new recordings of well known Christmas songs as well as seasonal favorites interpreted by Sarah. The title track Wintersong is an original work of Sarah.
McLachlan's first studio album of original material in seven years, Laws of Illusion, was released on June 15, 2010. It features 10 new songs in addition to the previously released tracks "U Want Me 2" and "Don't Give Up on Us. The first single Loving You Is Easy was released on April 23, 2010. It was followed by Forgiveness, released on June 30, 2010.
As the End Draws Near
Sarah McLachlan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The shadow of death,
Greifs silently across the darkened sea.
This is it, we stand alone,
We can see it all from here,
The starless night across the mountainside.
No one left to talk to,
Into the valleys...
You and me, we stand alone,
We can see it all from here,
Stretched far and wide,
The barren skies,
Fighting a silence,
From deep inside.
Into the valleys...
You and me...
Into the valleys,
The shadow of death,
Griefs silently it's in you and me,
It's in you and me...
The lyrics of Sarah McLachlan's song "As the End Draws Near" evoke a sense of isolation, fear, and acceptance of mortality. The repeated chorus, "Into the valleys, the shadow of death, griefs silently it's in you and me" creates a dark and foreboding atmosphere, suggesting that death is an inevitability that we must all face alone. The metaphor of the valleys represents the unknown and the uncertainty of what lies beyond, while the shadow of death embodies the finality and permanence of death.
The verses are introspective and contemplative, depicting the feelings of two individuals standing on a mountain ridge, observing the vast emptiness of the world around them. The absence of stars in the sky and people to talk to emphasizes the desolation and hopelessness of their situation. The phrase "fighting a silence from deep inside" alludes to the struggle to confront one's mortality and the fear of the unknown.
The lyrics of "As the End Draws Near" are open to interpretation, and they can be seen as a reflection on the human condition or a meditation on the end of the world. Whatever their meaning, they serve to remind us of our own mortality and the importance of treasuring the moments we have with loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
Into the valleys,
Descending into a place of darkness and sadness.
The shadow of death,
A deep sense of mortality and loss permeating the experience.
Grief silently across the darkened sea.
The sadness of life sets in and pervades everything, like a wave.
This is it, we stand alone,
The sense of isolation and aloneness is palpable.
We can see it all from here,
The vastness of the situation is revealed, and it's overwhelming.
The starless night across the mountainside.
The darkness is total, and there's little to hold onto.
No one left to talk to,
The sense of disconnection is complete, and there's nowhere to turn.
There's nothing left to say.
The silence and emptiness are deafening and inescapable.
You and me, we stand alone,
The experience of emotional isolation is shared, but still just as intense.
Stretched far and wide,
The breadth of this emotional valley is vast and unending.
The barren skies,
The world seems empty and uninviting.
Fighting a silence,
There's a desperate struggle to hold onto some sense of meaning and connection.
From deep inside.
But the feeling of emptiness is all-consuming, and comes from within.
Into the valleys...
Once again, descending into the abyss.
You and me...
Together in our loneliness and sadness.
Into the valleys,
Again and again we slide into the depths of despair.
The shadow of death,
The reminder of our own mortality haunts us.
Griefs silently it's in you and me,
But the sense of loss and sorrow is something we both feel.
It's in you and me...
The pain is personal, but also shared.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BRIAN BOTHWELL, PERRY GEYER, SARAH MCLACHLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ian Renga
Jaw dropping perfection. Sarah's voice kills here.
Feguilosch
GREAT song...Great Video !
Gringo Fett
Loved this band back in the day
alphadog1x
Wow I never knew Manufacture did any 'videos'. I still play this CD very often. Great mix of different styles. And yes, Sarah's voice was mesmerizing back then.
Sparkina
Sarah has a beautiful voice. When I first heard this song, I had no idea who the woman singing was. I just thought it was a lady with a beautiful voice. I had no idea she'd become so famous.
Ethereal Catholic
That unique few years after industrial and before Techno.
Winston Churchill was an
alcoholic traitor.
Sarah looks like a cute 80's goth girl.
S. Anem
She was. She got signed to Netwerk on Skinny Puppy's tour bus.
Jennifer Bradley
Aunt heather says to Jennifer, your just like from valley of the dolls Jennifer and you like don’t really know what’s going on! Ha! A ha!
Victor Trammell
Numbers, 1988
Gus Jones
Kill percent rate? LMAO. This song is gay.