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 Your Shoes
Sarah McLachlan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Play your favorite song and cry (cry)
You let it all disappear
Push back the doubt and fear they try (try)
To hold your head under the waves
But you're breathing all the same
You are stronger than their hate
Time for you to walk out walk in your own shoes
Lay down your footprints wherever you choose
Leave it all behind and move on you are your own woman
You never asked for trouble
But you've got fire that burns so bright (bright)
You turn and face the struggle
When all the others turn and hide (hide)
You hold your head above the waves
Above the war they try to wage
You are stronger than their hate
Time for you to walk out walk in your own shoes
Lay down your footprints wherever you choose
Leave it all behind and move on 'cause you are your own woman
Ooh, ah, yeah
Ooh, ah, yeah
Ooh, ah, yeah
Time for you to walk out walk in your own shoes
Lay down your footprints wherever you choose
Leave it all behind and move on
You are your own woman
Move on yeah
Time for you to walk out walk in your own shoes
Lay down your footprints wherever you choose
Say what's on your mind with pride
'Cause you are your own woman
(Ooh, ah, yeah) you've got a light that always guides you
(Ooh, ah, yeah) you speak of hope and change as something good
(Ooh, ah, yeah) live your truth and know you're not alone
You turn the radio on
Play your favorite song and sing out so loud
In Your Shoes, by Sarah McLachlan, is an uplifting song about empowerment and self-confidence. The lyrics encourage the listener to be their own person, to not let others hold them back or bring them down. The song is about finding strength within oneself, even in the face of difficult or challenging times.
The opening lines describe the act of escaping from the troubles of the world by putting on your favorite song and crying it out. The next lines acknowledge the existence of fear and doubt but urge the listener to push them back and not let them control their life. As the song progresses, the lyrics describe the listener's strength and resilience in facing struggles and holding their head above the waves of conflict.
The chorus of the song repeats the message that it's time for the listener to be their own person, to walk in their own shoes and leave their own footprints wherever they choose. They are encouraged to move on and embrace their individuality, to be proud of their own thoughts and ideas.
Overall, In Your Shoes is a powerful anthem of self-confidence and empowerment, urging listeners to be true to themselves and find strength within. The song's uplifting message and catchy melody make it a favorite among fans of Sarah McLachlan and empowering pop music.
Line by Line Meaning
You turn the radio on
You use entertainment to distract yourself from your problems.
Play your favorite song and cry (cry)
Listening to music makes you feel emotional.
You let it all disappear
Your focus shifts away from your problems for a while.
Push back the doubt and fear they try (try)
You resist feelings of self-doubt and anxiety that may arise.
To hold your head under the waves
Others try to suppress you and make you feel powerless.
But you're breathing all the same
You still have the strength to keep going no matter how tough it gets.
You are stronger than their hate
You have the power to overcome others' negativity and hate.
Time for you to walk out walk in your own shoes
It's time for you to be true to yourself and stop trying to please others.
Lay down your footprints wherever you choose
Choose your own path and make your own choices instead of being led by others.
Leave it all behind and move on you are your own woman
Let go of the past and become an independent, confident woman.
You never asked for trouble
You didn't do anything to deserve the problems you're facing.
But you've got fire that burns so bright (bright)
You have a strong passion that fuels you and keeps you going.
You turn and face the struggle
You confront your challenges head-on instead of running away from them.
When all the others turn and hide (hide)
Others give up or avoid the struggle, but you don't.
You hold your head above the waves
You stay strong and don't let your problems consume you.
Above the war they try to wage
Others try to bring you down, but you remain resilient.
Ooh, ah, yeah
Expression of emotion, possibly joy or appreciation.
Time for you to walk out walk in your own shoes
Be true to yourself and stop trying to fit into others' expectations.
Say what's on your mind with pride
Speak your truth confidently and with conviction.
'Cause you are your own woman
You are unique and should embrace your individuality.
(Ooh, ah, yeah) you've got a light that always guides you
You have an inner strength that guides you through tough times.
(Ooh, ah, yeah) you speak of hope and change as something good
You see positivity in change and have hope for the future.
(Ooh, ah, yeah) live your truth and know you're not alone
Always be true to yourself and know that others share the same struggle.
You turn the radio on
You use entertainment to distract yourself from your problems.
Play your favorite song and sing out so loud
You express your emotions in a positive and cathartic way.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Thomas Luke Doucet, Sarah Ann Mclachlan, Pierre Marchand
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Carolina Corral
You turn the radio on play your favorite song and cry… cry
You let it all disappear push back the doubt and fear they try… try
To hold your head under the waves but you’re breathing all the same
You are stronger than their hate
Time for you to walk out walk in your own shoes
Lay down your footprints wherever you choose
Leave it all behind and move on you are your own woman
You never asked for trouble but you’ve got fire that burns so bright… bright
You turn and face the struggle when all the others turn and hide… hide
You hold your head above the waves above the war they try to wage
You are stronger than their hate
Time for you to walk out walk in your own shoes
Lay down your footprints wherever you choose
Leave it all behind and move on ’cause you are your own woman
Time for you to walk out walk in your own shoes
Lay down your footprints wherever you choose
Leave it all behind and move on you are your own woman move on yeah
Time for you to walk out walk in your own shoes
Lay down your footprints wherever you choose
Say what’s on your mind with pride ‘cause you are your own woman
You’ve got a light that always guides you
You speak of hope and change as something good
Live your truth and know you’re not alone
You turn the radio on play your favorite song and sing out so loud
Renea Poole
I have loved Sarah for years. She is a very underrated artist. Her new album is amazing. I have all her albums and will continue to buy them and make the wonderful music she does. I listened to a lot of her live performances she does as well a lot just acapella and a piano really shows how talented she is. Glad to know there is actually some true talent still out there. Compared to what is on mainstream radio. Some of the new up and coming artists are very talented but majority of it is crap. Everything is so auto tuned now days its ridiculous and not even the person's real voice.
Ben S.
She was one of the most successful Canadian artists of the 90s alongside Alanis Morissette, Shania Twain, and Celine Dion..she's definitely not underrated.
SerNaco
Wow......this song is amazing! Sarah is a true artist and true to herself.
Matthew Alexander Lemma
I love this song! Conjures up memories of the brilliance of Sarah McLachlan's album, "Surfacing."
Data Two
What a truly marvelous year that was! It was the last period in our time before the violence, deceit, and horrors of the turn of the century. All led by a disastrous and bumbling fool of an administration, leaving us in economic collapse. We became the sham of the world, yet still so blinded by ignorance we elected an even worse despot wannabe. This era is so profoundly wounded, that although we moved forward in time with the rest of the western industrialized world, as a people and a country we've still not emerged into the 21st century. How much lighter, it was then.
Bluemgwes
1:59 - 2:18 I love how epic this section is. The drums, her incredible vocals. She's such a beautiful artist.
blurock29
"you were stronger than the hate" i love it !!!
Anonymous 27
I love Sarah Mclachlan, it is good to hear her voice again.
De Naja' Handy
Love this beautiful melody and message.
baltofanforever
Wonderful song !!!! Love it. Sarah will always be the best singer ever very inspiring & her voice is still amazing.