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.
In The Arms Of The Angels
Sarah McLachlan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For the break that will make it ok
There's always some reason to feel not good enough
And it's hard at the end of the day
I need some distraction oh beautiful release
Memories seep from my veins
They may be empty and weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight
In the arms of an Angel fly away from here
From this dark, cold hotel room, and the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of an Angel; may you find some comfort here
So tired of the straight line, and everywhere you turn
There's vultures and thieves at your back
The storm keeps on twisting, you keep on building the lies
That you make up for all that you lack
It don't make no difference, escaping one last time
It's easier to believe
In this sweet madness, oh this glorious sadness
That brings me to my knees
In the arms of an Angel far away from here
From this dark, cold hotel room, and the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie
In the arms of an Angel; may you find some comfort here
You're in the arms of an Angel; may you find some comfort here
Sarah McLachlan's song "In The Arms of the Angels" is a poignant reflection on the toll that endless suffering can take on the human psyche. The opening lines suggest that the subject of the song has been struggling for a long time, waiting for some respite from the pain they are experiencing. They have been looking for a second chance, some break that will let them breathe easier, but there is always another reason that they "feel not good enough." The singer identifies with this person's pain, and needs some kind of "distraction" to ease the memories that they carry inside. They hope that they will find some relief from their anguish tonight.
The chorus describes a vision of escape and comfort in the form of an angel. The subject of the song is "pulled from the wreckage of [their] silent reverie," metaphorically rescued from the tangled mess of their own thoughts. The imagery is striking - this person is in a "dark, cold hotel room" and surrounded by endlessness, but the angel offers some kind of sanctuary. The singer wishes for this person to find comfort in the arms of the angel and be able to leave their suffering behind.
The second verse returns to the theme of endless struggle - this time, highlighting the weariness that comes from consistently running into obstacles. The metaphors are vivid: "vultures and thieves at your back" and "the storm keeps on twisting." The person in the song keeps "building the lies," trying to compensate for their perceived shortcomings. But the singer insists that none of this makes any difference - escaping from the pain is all that matters. They find a sense of comfort in the "sweet madness" and "glorious sadness" of the song's title, recognizing that sometimes the only way to face trauma is to embrace it fully.
Overall, "In The Arms of The Angels" is a moving exploration of hope in the midst of suffering. The singer doesn't offer any easy solutions, but instead recognizes that sometimes all that's left to do is lean on the kindness of others and find a way through the pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Spend all your time waiting for that second chance
You're constantly waiting for an opportunity to make things right.
For the break that will make it ok
You're waiting for something to go your way, so that things can fall into place.
There's always some reason to feel not good enough
You feel like you're never quite good enough, no matter what you do or achieve.
And it's hard at the end of the day
At the end of the day, all your worries weigh heavy on your heart.
I need some distraction oh beautiful release
You desperately need something to take your mind off all the things that are troubling you.
Memories seep from my veins
You're haunted by the memories of the past, and they're suffocating you.
They may be empty and weightless and maybe
The memories may be meaningless and unimportant, but they still hurt.
I'll find some peace tonight
You hope that you'll finally be able to find some peace and calmness tonight.
In the arms of an Angel fly away from here
You want to escape the world you're living in and rest in the comforting embrace of an angel.
From this dark, cold hotel room, and the endlessness that you fear
You're trapped in a place that's cold and unsettling, and you're afraid that you'll never escape.
You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie
You're finally being rescued from the wreckage of your own thoughts.
You're in the arms of an Angel; may you find some comfort here
You're being held by an angel who will soothe your pains and bring you comfort.
So tired of the straight line, and everywhere you turn
You're sick of following the same routine, and everything you try seems to lead you nowhere.
There's vultures and thieves at your back
There are people who are taking advantage of you and exploiting your vulnerabilities.
The storm keeps on twisting, you keep on building the lies
Your thoughts keep spiraling out of control, and you're constantly creating lies to justify your actions.
That you make up for all that you lack
You make up lies to cover up for your insecurities and shortcomings.
It don't make no difference, escaping one last time
You've tried escaping before, but it hasn't made a difference, and you don't know if trying again will help.
It's easier to believe
It's easier to believe in something that soothes the pain and brings you comfort.
In this sweet madness, oh this glorious sadness
You find comfort in the madness and sadness that surrounds you, because it's familiar and you're used to it.
That brings me to my knees
The sadness and pain are so overwhelming that they bring you down to your knees.
In the arms of an Angel far away from here
You want to be held and comforted by an angel in a place that's far away from your troubles.
From this dark, cold hotel room, and the endlessness that you fear
You want to escape the endlessness of your troubles that has trapped you in this cold hotel room.
You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie
You're saved from the wreckage of your own thoughts, which have been silently destroying you.
In the arms of an Angel; may you find some comfort here
You're being held by an angel who has come to bring you peace and comfort.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jaded Hart
This will surely make you cry! Everyone can identify with this song! Hear it you won't regret it. And maybe you'll remember!
@timothyrudd8150
2024 this day. "Right now, there are people all over the world who are just like you. They're either lonely, they're missing somebody, they're depressed, they're hurt, they're scarred from the past, they're having personal issues no one knows about, they have secrets you wouldn't believe. They wish, they dream and they hope. And right now, they are sitting here reading these words, and I'm writing this for you so you don't feel alone anymore. Always remember, don't be depressed about the past, don't worry about the future, and just focus on today. If today's not so great don't worry! Tomorrow's a new chance. You are not guilty , you are a Good person. If you are reading this, be sure to share this around to make others feel better. Have a nice day!***Better yet "Have a nice life!!"
@ohurspecial5404
I’m just here to make fun of those old dog commercials XD
@mariaward2717
Encouraging. They always say peace is hard to find but it's only within no matter what.
@constanceleachman9720
It's good to see you back young man I was only concerned because your words are so heartfelt and wise and helpful to so many people and your Insight amazes me it would be sad to see them not shared with others who could use them you are a good Soul mr. Timothy and Jesus has reason for you sharing that I thought maybe I was driving you crazy always asking you something silly anyway my friend as always hope all is well and safe with you have a pleasant day young man
@thepurevessel
Thank you for posting this, May you have a great life.
@mariagoncalves8735
Thanks for your words. I miss my mama so much
@loannatran2304
Just lost my father suddenly and unexpectedly. He loved me and was always there to support me. I’ll always miss the times we talked about our favorite video games together, resident evil, Tekken. Listening to this song makes me cry and also lets me know that he’s with the angels right now. I love you forever dad ❤
1973-2024
@mythai05
Wow, that's tough! But the fact that you focused on the good times you and your dad had together tells me you're in a good place. That's how you'll get through this. Rather than focus on the loss, focus on all the good times you had together. Once you accept that death is just part of the cycle of life---we'll all leave someday---then you realize that whatever time you had together was a gift.
After my father's passing, I found this song very comforting. Like you, I picked up on the line "in the arms of the angel". Every time I hear this song I think of my father. I've listened to it countless times, but it wasn't until recently that I noticed that Sarah chose to write "here" instead of "there" for the last line. You're in the arms of the angel, may you find some comfort HERE. The person who has left us is being welcomed in and they will always be with us in our hearts. ❤
@JohnStoner-fp9re
I lost my mom to cancer when the song came out and every time I hear this song it just makes me break down and cry all I can think of is my poor Mom laying in the bed so withered away and now she's in the arms of an angel God bless you Sarah for making this song and God bless you mom up there and nonsibility by the grace of God Christ I pray amen