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.
Dirty Little Secret
Sarah McLachlan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I would not hesitate
To tell you all things I never said before
Don't tell me it's too late
'Cause I've relied on my illusions
To keep me warm at night
And I've denied in my capacity to love
But I am willing to give up this fight
I've been up all night drinking
To drown my sorrow down
But nothing seems to help me since you went away
I'm so tired of this town
Where every tongue is wagging
When every back is turned
They're telling secrets that should never be revealed
There's nothing to be gained from this but disaster
Here's a good one
Did you hear about my friend?
He's embarrassed to be seen now
'Cause we all know his sins
If I had the chance, love
You know I would not hesitate
To tell you all the things I'd never said before
Don't tell me it's too late
'Cause I've relied on my illusions
To keep me warm at night
I denied in my capacity to love
I am willing to give up this fight
Oh, I am willing to give up this fight
Sarah McLachlan's Dirty Little Secret speaks to the human struggle with vulnerability and the fear of being judged or rejected by others. The song's narrator expresses regret for not speaking up sooner, instead relying on false pretenses and illusions to avoid facing love's uncertainties. In the chorus, the singer emphasizes the desire to finally let go of these illusions and fears by sharing all of the secrets and feelings they have suppressed.
The second verse highlights the struggle of being in a small town where everyone knows each other's business. The singer expresses frustration with the town's gossip and reveals the fear of their own secrets being revealed. The line "there's nothing to be gained from this but disaster" reinforces that keeping secrets and spreading rumors can only lead to negative consequences.
Overall, Dirty Little Secret delivers a powerful message about the importance of being honest and vulnerable in relationships. Hiding behind illusions and secrets only creates more pain and loneliness. The song encourages us to take the risk of sharing our true feelings with others instead of holding them in and regretting it later on.
Line by Line Meaning
If I had the chance, love
Expressing the desire to have an opportunity to share something important
I would not hesitate
Eager to speak up with no second thoughts
To tell you all things I never said before
To communicate the unspoken words left unsaid
Don't tell me it's too late
Do not say it's beyond a reasonable time
'Cause I've relied on my illusions
Depending on imaginary ideas that aren't factual
To keep me warm at night
To comfort me through the dark, cold times
And I've denied in my capacity to love
Not acknowledging the ability to love
But I am willing to give up this fight
Ready to abandon the internal struggle
I've been up all night drinking
Passing time by consuming alcohol to avoid facing reality
To drown my sorrow down
Suppressing sadness by numbing emotions
But nothing seems to help me since you went away
Without you, finding peace appears impossible
I'm so tired of this town
Lamenting the hopelessness of an unsatisfying location
Where every tongue is wagging
Gossip is abundant
When every back is turned
Rumours spread behind people's backs
They're telling secrets that should never be revealed
Holding back concealed information
There's nothing to be gained from this but disaster
Sharing secrets leads to negative consequences
Here's a good one
Introducing a piece of gossip
Did you hear about my friend?
Asking if someone knows about an acquaintance's story
He's embarrassed to be seen now
Feeling shame from the exposed information
'Cause we all know his sins
The secrets that were revealed were morally wrong
If I had the chance, love
Reiterating the desire to communicate openly
You know I would not hesitate
Conveying that time isn't an issue
To tell you all the things I'd never said before
Voicing never expressed feelings
Don't tell me it's too late
Requesting to not be told it is too tardy to discuss
'Cause I've relied on my illusions
Acknowledging finally that relying on imagination is unsafe
To keep me warm at night
No longer bearable without conversion
I denied in my capacity to love
Consistently insufficient with not accepting compassion
I am willing to give up this fight
Ceasing to oppose accepting affection
Oh, I am willing to give up this fight
Confirming readiness to stop resisting receiving love
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Sarah McLachlan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Artaudo Non
"Dirty Little Secret"
If I had the chance, love
I would not hesitate
To tell you all the things I never said before
Don't tell me it's too late
[Chorus:]
Cause I've relied on my illusions
To keep me warm at night
But I denied in my capacity to love
I am willing, to give up this fight
I've been up all night drinking
To drown my sorrow down
Nothing seems to help me since you went away
I'm so tired of this town
Where every tongue is wagging
When every back is turned
Their telling secrets that should never be revealed
There's nothing to be gained from this
But disaster..
Here's a good one..
Did you hear about my friend
He's embarrassed to be seen now
because we all know his sins
If I had the chance love
You know, I would not hesitate
To tell you all the things I never said before
Don't tell me it's too late
[Chorus:]
Cause I've relied on my illusions
To keep me warm at night
But I denied in my capacity to love
I am willing, to give up this fight
Oh, I am willing to give up this fight..
Ananaki
this song touches the soul.....provides passage to melancholy
Melissa Duffy
Her voice like honey pours out so rich, sexy and expressive...IT .really doesn't matter what words she sings. She just shares her essence each time she sings.
Keith Miller
very well done.......her voice is fantastic!
Artaudo Non
"Dirty Little Secret"
If I had the chance, love
I would not hesitate
To tell you all the things I never said before
Don't tell me it's too late
[Chorus:]
Cause I've relied on my illusions
To keep me warm at night
But I denied in my capacity to love
I am willing, to give up this fight
I've been up all night drinking
To drown my sorrow down
Nothing seems to help me since you went away
I'm so tired of this town
Where every tongue is wagging
When every back is turned
Their telling secrets that should never be revealed
There's nothing to be gained from this
But disaster..
Here's a good one..
Did you hear about my friend
He's embarrassed to be seen now
because we all know his sins
If I had the chance love
You know, I would not hesitate
To tell you all the things I never said before
Don't tell me it's too late
[Chorus:]
Cause I've relied on my illusions
To keep me warm at night
But I denied in my capacity to love
I am willing, to give up this fight
Oh, I am willing to give up this fight..
Trisha Rasky
Sarah's haunting voice coupled with Thieverys haunting grooves got me! Just wow❤
kosmas kalentiriadis
Πόσες φορές μπορεί να το έχω ακούσει. Πόσες φορές μπορεί να το εχω προτείνει σε κόσμο. Είναι ένα ταξίδι κάθε φορά που το ακούς. Κι όταν το συνδιάζεις και με την εικόνα της , γίνετε μαγικό...!!!
Slavko Cosic
Her voice and this melody fascinate...Light & Love...
Seija Kaarto
Really beautiful voice and lovely song.. 💞
Mike Beeton
Very hypnotic, leading into the next lyric,feeling the rhythm, feeling the hope, drawn back to the beat
Enrique TOPO Rodriguez
Such a wonderful wondrous voice. I will never get sick or tired of listening to Sarah McL. An absolute pleasure to all my senses. Big thank you to Sarah's mum and dad and her hard and intelligent work. Enrique