Slean recorded her first EP Universe (1997) at the age of nineteen. Since then she has completed a series of albums including: Blue Parade (1998), Night Bugs (2002), and Day One (2004), The Baroness (2008) and the double album Land & Sea (2011).
Night Bugs was her first major label album, co-produced by Slean and Hawksley Workman, and released by WEA in Canada and Atlantic Records in the United States. It was heavily inspired by cabaret music.
In September 2004, Slean released her fourth album, Day One. Here Slean's piano takes a less important spot for the first time in her career. The focus is more on beats, rhythms and guitar, which shines through in the album's first single "Lucky Me". The up-tempo title track "Day One", and "Mary", a song about Slean's grandmother, were released as the second and third singles.
In October 2006, Slean released a mostly-live album, Orphan Music, which consists of songs recorded live at Toronto's Harbourfront Theatre and the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. Other new tracks featuring Slean and the piano were recorded at DNA Recording Facility in Toronto and Kensaltown Studios in the UK.
Also in 2006, she contributed two tracks ("Us and Them" and "Comfortably Numb") to Pink Floyd Redux, a modern 12-track tribute to Pink Floyd.
Her sixth album The Baroness was released March 2008. An EP with outtakes from the album, entitled The Baroness Redecorates, was released in December of the same year.
Another set of B-sides was released in December 2010. For Beauty Lives, fans could vote for their favourite previously unrecorded track. The ten top songs were recorded especially for the collection.
Slean released the double album Land & Sea in September 2011. It is a concept album, where the songs on Land represent grounded topics and are generally more poppy, while the songs on Sea are more ethereal in subject matter and feature classical arrangements.
Slean released Metaphysics in 2017.
For photos and additional information check out Sarah Slean's official website, www.SarahSlean.com.
Universe
Sarah Slean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When she failed to yield the earth's demands
'Oh,' she said 'you mean that little ant farm?
I'm alright, dear, I've got other plans'
And we're sad because we think we don't belong here
We're guilty 'cause we think we should be stars
Floating in a navy soup, we're sailing
There you are
She's so bright, and then she's gone
Don't mind me I'm just sailing
On a sunrise, it's my favourite thing
And when are you going to realize
I don't blame you, I never have
And when she talks, she fills the room with sunlight
She can name her babies, every one
I've returned to the place of my beginning
And I can see her turning off the sun
And we're sad because we think we don't belong here
We're guilty 'cause we think we should be stars
Floating in a navy soup, we're sailing
There you are
There you are
She's so bright, and then she's gone
Don't mind me I'm just sailing
On a sunrise, it's my favourite thing
And when are you going to realize
I don't blame you, I never have
In Sarah Slean's song Universe, the singer recounts a conversation they had with the universe. The earth was demanding, and the universe seemed unconcerned about such a small matter as an ant farm. The song is a reflection on the insignificance of human life in the grand scheme of the universe. The lyrics touch on feelings of sadness and guilt in the human existence as people desire to be stars, floating in space. The idea of sailing in the universe is a metaphor for the journey of life, and the fact that we are never truly alone, and the universe is always present.
Throughout the song, Slean's lyrics suggest that the universe is aware of its power, which is evident in lines such as "When she talks, she fills the room with sunlight." Moreover, the lyrics suggest that the universe is infinitely creative – "She can name her babies every one." The song also conveys a sense of awe toward the universe's power and beauty, which the singer seems to admire.
Overall, the song Universe is a poetic reflection on life's impermanence and the vastness of the universe. It is a reminder that even though we may feel small, we are all connected by the same energy and that our journey through life is meaningful in its own way.
Line by Line Meaning
Once I took the universe to dinner
I tried to make sense of life and existence
When she failed to yield the earth's demands
Life didn't go as planned
'Oh,' she said 'you mean that little ant farm?
The universe is amused by our human problems
I'm alright, dear, I've got other plans'
Everything will work out in its own way
And we're sad because we think we don't belong here
Feeling out of place in the universe
We're guilty 'cause we think we should be stars
Believing we should be achieving more
Floating in a navy soup, we're sailing
Life is unpredictable, and we're just along for the ride
There you are
Coming to terms with our place in the universe
She's so bright, and then she's gone
Life is fleeting and unpredictable
Don't mind me I'm just sailing
Going with the flow of life
On a sunrise, it's my favourite thing
Finding beauty in the small moments
And when are you going to realize
Questioning our understanding of life
I don't blame you, I never have
Accepting that we can't control everything
And when she talks, she fills the room with sunlight
Finding joy and light in the universe
She can name her babies, every one
The universe has infinite possibilities
I've returned to the place of my beginning
Reflecting on our personal growth and journey
And I can see her turning off the sun
Recognizing the power and unpredictability of the universe
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: WILLIE GARDNER, BRIAN MCGEE, DOUGLAS MUIRDEN *, DAVID MURDOCH *, DAVID RUDDEN *, PAUL WISHART *
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind