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.
Possession
Sarah McLachlan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From across the great divide
Voices trapped in yearning
Memories trapped in time
The night is my companion
And solitude my guide
Would I spend forever here
And not be satisfied
And I would be the one
To hold you down
Kiss you so hard
I'll take your breath away
And after I'd, wipe away the tears
Just close your eyes dear
Through this world I've stumbled
So many times betrayed
Trying to find an honest word
To find the truth enslaved
Oh you speak to me in riddles and
You speak to me in rhymes
My body aches to breathe your breath
Your words keep me alive
And I would be the one
To hold you down
Kiss you so hard
I'll take your breath away
And after I'd, wipe away the tears
Just close your eyes, dear
Into this night I wander
It's morning that I dread
Another day of knowing of
The path I fear to tread
Oh, into the sea of waking dreams
I follow without pride
Nothing stands between us here
And I won't be denied
And I would be the one
To hold you down
Kiss you so hard
I'll take your breath away
And after I'd, wipe away the tears
Just close your eyes dear
I'll hold you down
Kiss you so hard
I'll take your breath away
And after I'd wipe away the tears
Just close your eyes
Sarah McLachlan's "Possession" was released in 1993 on her album Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. The song is a hauntingly beautiful piece about a fan who has become enamored with the singer and has become consumed with obsession. It is told from the perspective of the fan, who is searching for some sort of connection to the artist. The lyrics speak to the feelings of isolation, yearning and desperation that can come with unrequited love.
The opening lyrics, "Listen as the wind blows, from across the great divide, voices trapped in yearning, memories trapped in time," illustrate the fan's sense of longing and distance from the object of their affection. The repeated refrain, "And I would be the one, to hold you down, kiss you so hard, I'll take your breath away," expresses the fan's desire to be physically close to McLachlan. The final lines, "I'll hold you down, kiss you so hard, I'll take your breath away, and after I'd wipe away the tears, just close your eyes," suggest a violent desperation to keep the singer close to them, even if it requires force.
While "Possession" is often celebrated for its hauntingly beautiful melody, the lyrics suggest a much darker and more complicated story. It's a song about obsession, the objectification of women, and a culture that often encourages the objectification of female performers. McLachlan has said that she wrote the song about an obsessive fan who sent her letters suggesting that they were kindred spirits and should be together. Though the song is about a specific individual and their obsession with her, her haunting melody and lyrics also speak more broadly to themes of desperation, loneliness and our search for connectivity.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen as the wind blows
Pay attention to the natural sounds around you
From across the great divide
Coming from a distance
Voices trapped in yearning
Emotional desires held captive
Memories trapped in time
Experiences stuck in the past
The night is my companion
Darkness is a comfort to me
And solitude my guide
Being alone helps me navigate life
Would I spend forever here
Thinking about staying in this state of mind permanently
And not be satisfied
But still feeling unfulfilled
And I would be the one
Referring to herself as the artist
To hold you down
To keep a lover close
Kiss you so hard
Having a passionate embrace
I'll take your breath away
Making the other person feel overwhelmed with feelings of love
And after I'd, wipe away the tears
Comforting the other person and showing empathy for their feelings
Just close your eyes, dear
Relax and trust me
Through this world I've stumbled
Having a difficult time navigating through life
So many times betrayed
Feeling let down by others
Trying to find an honest word
Searching for someone who speaks the truth
To find the truth enslaved
But being unable to uncover the whole truth
Oh you speak to me in riddles and
Addressing someone who speaks in a vague and mysterious way
You speak to me in rhymes
Speaking to the artist in a poetic and artistic way
My body aches to breathe your breath
Feeling a physical longing to be close to someone
Your words keep me alive
Words of love and encouragement give me hope
Into this night I wander
Moving forward into the unknown
It's morning that I dread
Feeling anxious and worried about the future
Another day of knowing of
Facing another day of understanding
The path I fear to tread
Going down a road that causes anxiety
Oh, into the sea of waking dreams
Moving into a place of creativity and imagination
I follow without pride
Being humble in one's approach to uncovering the unknown
Nothing stands between us here
Being close to your loved one without any barriers
And I won't be denied
Being determined to continue the path to love
I'll hold you down
Ensuring the other person doesn't drift away
Kiss you so hard
Showing passion and longing in the embrace
I'll take your breath away
Leaving the other person speechless with love
And after I'd wipe away the tears
Trying to ease the other person's pain
Just close your eyes
Relax and let me take care of you
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Sarah Mclachlan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cailinstone9537
The 14 year old in me was never the same after this album was released. I'm 42 now and this song still hits me hard.
@yoashuain1
Holy Cow, me too! I'll be 42 this year, and I still think she is one of the sexiest women alive! π
@laurabirli
πππππ
@GunStreetGirl77
Same, friend! 42 sure got her quick ! Lol
@TreyIM22
I don't know the album but I DAMN sure know this song...and I'm 48. Still an all time great wong. Tears are rolling right now as I hear it, even tho the song has been in my phones for the longest. lol. I just decided to take a trip down video menory lane.
@austinfrazier7325
Damn I miss 94 and the whole 90s actually.
@danielwaldron2635
The harmonizing "Ill take your breath away" is hauntingly beautiful.
@GeauxRight777
Yes!
@ycoz5814
Yes! I remember that line and the melody. It used to break my heart.
@janeentumbao8690
Considering she's an Aquarius, an air sign, that says alot more than people may realize.