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.
Solsbury Hill
Sarah McLachlan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I could see the city light
Wind was blowing, time stood still
Eagle flew out of the night
He was something to observe
Came in close, I heard a voice
Standing stretching every nerve
I did not believe the information
I just had to trust imagination
My heart going boom boom boom
"Son," he said, "Grab your things, I've come to take you home."
To keepin' silence I resigned
My friends would think I was a nut
Turning water into wine
Open doors would soon be shut
So I went from day to day
Tho' my life was in a rut
'Till I thought of what I'd say
Which connection I should cut
I was feeling part of the scenery
I walked right out of the machinery
My heart going boom boom boom
"Hey," he said, "grab your things, I've come to take you home."
When illusion spin her net
I'm never where I want to be
And liberty she pirouette
When I think that I am free
Watched by empty silhouettes
Who close their eyes,but still can see
No one taught them etiquette
I will show another me
Today I don't need a replacement
I'll tell them what the smile on my face meant
My heart going boom boom boom
"Hey," I said, "You can keep my things, they've come to take me home."
In Sarah McLachlan's song "Solsbury Hill," the singer climbs up to Solsbury Hill and looks out upon the city light while the wind is blowing around her. Suddenly, an eagle appears and she hears a voice telling her to grab her things because she is being taken home. This voice offers her an escape from her mundane life, telling her to abandon her connections and follow her heart.
The singer is hesitant, afraid that her friends will think she is crazy and unsure which connections to cut. But as she contemplates the situation, she realizes she has been "part of the scenery," and decides to break free from the machinery of her life. In a moment of liberation, she tells the voice that he can keep her things because she is going home.
The song seems to be about taking a risk and trusting in something greater than ourselves. It represents a moment of awakening, where the singer breaks free from the monotony of her life and chooses to follow a new path, even though she is unsure of where it will lead. Ultimately, the song is hopeful, suggesting that taking such risks can lead to growth, fulfillment, and a sense of self-discovery.
Line by Line Meaning
Climbing up on Solsbury Hill
Starting a journey towards a higher place
I could see the city light
Overlooking the hustle and bustle of civilization
Wind was blowing, time stood still
Nature was active, but the moment was peaceful
Eagle flew out of the night
An unexpected symbol of freedom and power appeared
He was something to observe
The eagle commanded attention and awe
Came in close, I heard a voice
The eagle communicated a message
Standing stretching every nerve
Being alert and attentive
Had to listen had no choice
The message was too important to ignore
I did not believe the information
The message was surprising and hard to accept
I just had to trust imagination
Making a leap of faith to embrace the message
My heart going boom boom boom
Feeling intense emotions
"Son," he said, "Grab your things, I've come to take you home."
Being invited to a new, better life
To keepin' silence I resigned
Being unwilling to share the message with others
My friends would think I was a nut
Being afraid of being misunderstood or ridiculed
Turning water into wine
Feeling like one can do the impossible
Open doors would soon be shut
Feeling that opportunities were slipping away
So I went from day to day
Living life on autopilot
Tho' my life was in a rut
Feeling stuck and unfulfilled
‘Till I thought of what I'd say
Reflecting on what was really important
Which connection I should cut
Deciding what was holding back progress
I was feeling part of the scenery
Feeling like a bystander instead of a participant
I walked right out of the machinery
Breaking free from conformity
"Hey," he said, "grab your things, I've come to take you home."
Being given another chance at a better life
When illusion spin her net
Feeling trapped by false perceptions
I'm never where I want to be
Being unable to achieve goals
And liberty she pirouette
Feeling that freedom is elusive and temporary
When I think that I am free
Realizing that freedom is relative
Watched by empty silhouettes
Being surrounded by people who are superficial and uninvolved
Who close their eyes,but still can see
Ignoring the truth while it is in plain sight
No one taught them etiquette
Society has lost its moral compass
I will show another me
Taking responsibility for personal growth
Today I don't need a replacement
Being self-sufficient and whole
I'll tell them what the smile on my face meant
Sharing wisdom and joy with others
My heart going boom boom boom
Feeling confident and alive
"Hey," I said, "You can keep my things, they've come to take me home."
Leaving behind old baggage and embracing a new, better life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PETER GABRIEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nick Madness
By far the BEST cover of this Peter Gabriel classic! --- Now, I'm not trying to make enemies here, BUT, I actually like Sarah's cover version even more than the great original. --- Let the insults begin!!! 😜
Climbing up on Solsbury Hill
I could see the city light
Wind was blowing, time stood still
Eagle flew out of the night
He was something to observe
Came in close, I heard a voice
Standing, stretching every nerve
Had to listen, had no choice
I did not believe the information
Just had to trust imagination
My heart going boom, boom, boom
"Son", he said, "grab your things, I've come to take you home"
To keep in silence I resigned
My friends would think I was a nut
Turning water into wine
Open doors would soon be shut
So I went from day to day
Though my life was in a rut
'Til I thought of what I'll say
Which connection I should cut
I was feeling part of the scenery
I walked right out of the machinery
My heart going boom, boom, boom
"Hey", he said, "grab your things, I've come to take you home"
(Hey, back home)
When illusion spin her net
I'm never where I want to be
And liberty she pirouette
When I think that I am free
Watched by empty silhouettes
Who close their eyes but still can see
No one taught them etiquette
I will show another me
Today I don't need a replacement
I'll tell them what the smile on my face meant
My heart going boom, boom, boom
"Hey", I said, "you can keep my things, they've come to take me home."
Songwriters: Peter Gabriel
JuanK Gonzalez
Lovely, lovely cover. She's got a great voice
Phill Calle
I love listening to covers of great songs -- I go on "binges" just listening to the same song over and over again. Mini-review: Not as good as Peter Gabriel, but he sets a high bar, and even at this young age, she was better than a lot of the other covers I heard, and there were some nice moments too. I wonder if she ever covered this song again, perhaps in the studio?
Albert Nigrin
Two of my favorite artists! Sarah paying homage to the master.
Heiko FFM
Well done cover. Great musicians
Russell Hawkins
What a great cover. Lovely voice.
Matthew Avalos
I only just discovered she covered this song. I can die now <3
thank you sarah....made my heart go boom boom boom...sincerely
Fabián Tolosa
Hermosa versión!!, me encanta su voz!!!
Michelle Rose
Nice live recording. Yeah, that's Sarah alright. Nobody else has a coloratura soprano quite like hers. She's growling a bit in the lower registers, rocking out. It must have been fun for her to break down the expectations for a while.
Korben Dallas
Normally I would never listen to someone covering Peter Gabriel, but since it was Sarah McLachlan I was intrigued enough to give it a listen.
Ric Conway
I was a college radio DJ when she released this. One of my favorite versions of this song.