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.
Ol' 55
Sarah McLachlan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I go lickety-splitly
Down to my ol' '55
Well, I pulled away slowly
I was feeling so holy
God knows
I was feeling alive
I'm riding with Lady Luck
Freeways, cars and trucks
Stars beginning to fade
And I lead the parade
Just a-wishing I'd stay a little longer
Oh, Lord, let me tell you
The feeling's getting stronger
And it's six in the morning
Gave me no warning
I had to be on my way
There's trucks all a-passing
And the lights all are flashing
I'm on my way home from the place
Well, the sun's coming up
I'm riding with Lady Luck
Freeways, cars and trucks
Stars beginning to fade
And I lead the parade
Just a-wishing I'd stayed a little longer
Oh, Lord, let me tell you
The feeling's getting stronger
My time has come quickly
I go lickety-splitly
Down to my ol' '55
As I pulled away slowly
I was feeling so holy
God knows, I was feeling alive, oh
And the sun's coming up
I'm riding with Lady Luck
Freeways, cars and trucks
Freeways, cars and trucks
Freeways, cars and trucks
The lyrics to Sarah McLachlan's "Ol' 55" tell the story of a person who is in a rush to return home in their car. The song's opening lines state that the person's "time has come quickly," indicating that they feel a sense of urgency to get back to where they need to be. The phrase "lickety-splitly" is a playful reference to the person's speed and eagerness to get to their destination as quickly as possible.
As the person drives away, they feel a sense of joy and liberation, expressed through the lines "I was feeling so holy, / God knows, /I was feeling alive." The music takes over and McLachlan's voice becomes more urgent and emotional as she speaks of the rush of riding on the open road, surrounded by cars and trucks, and the fading of the stars as the sun comes up.
Throughout the song, the singer expresses their desire to stay longer, and as the feeling of joy and liberation only becomes stronger, the person's sense of attachment to the experience grows. Ultimately, the song speaks to the dual desires of release and return, of freedom and security, and of living life to the fullest while still holding onto the things that matter most.
Line by Line Meaning
Well my time has come quickly,
The singer is aware that their time is running out.
I go lickety-splitly down to my old '55
The singer is quickly heading towards their destination.
As I pulled away slowly,
Despite the singer's speed, they were leaving their previous place slowly.
I was feeling so holy,
The singer felt spiritually alive.
God knows,
The singer believes that God is aware of their circumstances.
I was feeling alive.
The singer was filled with energy and enthusiasm.
Now the sun's coming up,
Morning has arrived.
I'm riding with Lady Luck,
The singer feels fortunate.
Freeways,
The singer is traveling on a highway.
Cars and trucks,
The singer sees other vehicles on the road.
Stars beginning to fade,
Dawn is breaking and the sky is brightening.
And I lead the parade
The singer is driving in front of other vehicles.
Just a-wishing I'd stayed a little longer,
The singer regrets leaving earlier than they would have liked.
Oh, Lord,
The singer addresses God in this line.
Let me tell you that the feeling's getting stronger.
The singer's emotions are intensifying as they travel.
And it's six in the morning,
The singer notes the time of day.
Gave me no warning;
The singer was not given a signal or sign to alert them of the time.
I had to be on my way.
The singer had to leave and continue their journey.
Well there's trucks all a-passing,
The singer sees many trucks while driving.
And the lights all are flashing,
The tops of the trucks and cars are lit up with warning lights.
I'm on my way home from the place.
The singer is returning home from somewhere.
Freeways,
The singer is still on a highway.
Cars and trucks,
The singer continues to see various vehicles on the road.
Freeways,
Another repetition of the singer's current location.
Cars and trucks
The last repetition in the song signifies that this is where the singer continues to be.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, JALMA MUSIC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Tom Waits
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jaded Hart
on In The Arms Of The Angels
This will surely make you cry! Everyone can identify with this song! Hear it you won't regret it. And maybe you'll remember!