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.
Black
Sarah McLachlan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the colors fade to black
And my eyes are falling fast and deep into me
And I follow the tracks that lead me down
And I'll never follow what's right
And I wonder sometimes
When they see all the sadness and pain
The truth brings to light
'Cause I can't see no reason, what is blind cannot see
'Cause I want what is pleasin', all I take should be free
What I rob from the innocent ones
What I'd steal from the womb
If I cried me a river of all my confessions
Would I drown in my shallow regret?
As the walls are closing in and the colors fade to black
As my eyes are falling fast and deep into the sea
And in darkness all that I can see
The frightened and the weak
Are forced to cling to mistakes they know nothing of
At mercy are the meek
'Cause I can't see no reason, what is blind cannot see
'Cause I want what is pleasin', all I take should be free
What I rob from the innocent ones
What I'd steal from the womb
If I cried me a river of all my confessions
Would I drown in my shallow regret?
If I cried me a river of all my confessions
Would I drown in my shallow regret?
If I cried me a river of all my confessions
Would I drown in my shallow regret?
If I cried me a river of all my confessions
Would I drown in my shallow regret?
In Sarah McLachlan's song Black, the lyrics describe a person who is struggling with the weight of their past choices and their impact on those around them. The opening lines, "As the walls are closing in and the colors fade to black, and my eyes are falling fast and deep into me," convey a sense of isolation and despair. The singer follows a path that leads them down a dark road, abandoning what is right.
The song raises questions about the consequences of our actions and the pain they may cause others. The line, "What I rob from the innocent ones, what I'd steal from the womb," suggests a life of taking from others, even the most vulnerable. The singer wonders if all their confessions would drown them in shallow regret.
The chorus of the song repeats the line "cause I can't see no reason, what is blind cannot see" and "cause I want what is pleasin', all I take should be free." The repetition of these lines suggests a downfall caused by a lack of vision, self-regulation, and empathy.
Overall, Black is a song that reflects on the weight of our choices and the pain they can cause. It is a cautionary tale about the consequences of seeking pleasure without regard for those around us.
Line by Line Meaning
As the walls are closing in
Feeling trapped and suffocated by the situation
And the colors fade to black
The world seems dark and hopeless
And my eyes are falling fast and deep into me
Becoming lost in one's own thoughts and emotions
And I follow the tracks that lead me down
Continuing on a self-destructive path
And I'll never follow what's right
Making choices that go against one's morals and ethics
And I wonder sometimes
Questioning the consequences of one's actions
When they see all the sadness and pain
Recognizing the harm caused by one's actions
The truth brings to light
Realizing the harsh reality of the situation
'Cause I can't see no reason, what is blind cannot see
Unable to see the error of one's ways
'Cause I want what is pleasin', all I take should be free
Pursuing pleasure at the expense of others
What I rob from the innocent ones
Taking advantage of those who are vulnerable
What I'd steal from the womb
Causing harm to unborn children
If I cried me a river of all my confessions
Expressing regret for one's actions
Would I drown in my shallow regret?
Feeling overwhelmed by the weight of one's mistakes
And in darkness all that I can see
Feeling lost and hopeless
The frightened and the weak
Exploiting those who are unable to defend themselves
Are forced to cling to mistakes they know nothing of
Being victimized by the actions of others
At mercy are the meek
Being at the mercy of those who have power over them
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Sarah Mclachlan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jan-Erik Ella
This song was my favourite throughout my late teenage years (and no, I was neither a semi-suicidal goth nor someone who just wanted to be "edgy"): its dissonances and lyrics, along with its haunting beauty really worked like a brilliant short story for me, a self-contained narrative that bore little connection to my life, yet still spoke to me.
Natalie Altemose
The oboe gets ya!
Aaron Carson
This song is a masterpiece.
OrbitalAngel Nebula
My favorite song and sound from Sarah, she does brilliant on really dark songs
MagicPants
OrbitalAngel Nebula Ice is another great one. Not Ice Cream, but Ice. Those songs are polar opposites.
OrbitalAngel Nebula
Yes👌
Azure Nightfalle
+razrv3lc
Hahaha. True. Ice is one of my favorites.
DahliasDarkside
I also love when she gets dark. Ice and Possession are chilling.
Trail of Ruin 2018
Yes, this song is like the start of all the darker Sarah Mclachlan songs
David Tinoco
I first heard this song 18 years ago when I was a teenager. It was so haunting and disturbing...I played it over and over for years...still haunts me....