Is it just me or is every song she’s ever written been horribly, horribly, sad and depressing? I’m not too good at “earing” it, but I think a lot of her songs are in minor keys, too.
Here are just some random lyrics taken from her website from various songs from various albums:
The lyrics themselves don’t really give the feeling, I’m afraid. They need the music to go with them. Anybody who’s ever heard her knows what I’m talking about. Her albums are an emotional rollercoaster that keeps going down, down, down…
Don’t get me wrong–I love her music. I saw her perform in Columbus, Ohio, a couple years(ish) ago and she was wonderful. I love her ability. And I love her music as well. It’s just soooo sad. It’s the kind of sad that you cry while listening to it, but you keep listening anyway!
Cran’s spot on. I’ve had several occasions to speak with Sarah McLachlan in my work for a music charity (she runs an excellent organisation that brings music to inner-city kids, while we work the rural side of things). She’s thoughtful, friendly, and quite down-to-earth.
I’m really not sure where all the angst comes from, though. Surfacing was dark, but even as Sarah had her career just popping, Fumbling was even more of a downer. Her demeanour in person ranges from pleasant to downright giddy. Who knew?
This is about as uplifting as her lyrics get:
Ice cream
Your love is better than ice cream
Better than anything else that I’ve tried
And your love is better than ice cream
Everyone here know how to fight
And it’s a long way down
It’s a long way down to the place
Where we started from
Your love is better than chocolate
Better than anything else that I’ve tried
Oh love is better than chocolate
Everyone here knows how to cry
“In the Arms of an Angel” is a beautiful melody on a low whistle or a flute, especially solo. The arrangement I play starts with the recognizable chorus. The verses tend to be tedious as an instrumental. I find that people’s minds wander off pretty quick if there is no one singing.
Count me in as a member of the Souless and Heartless Brigade.
Her, Amos, Apple and that other one, Morrissette. Aghh…
Never in my life have I heard such miserable, mind- numbingly boring songs.
Better shut up now…I can really get going on this lot when the mood takes me
Well, boring for somewhat different reasons I’d say.
Alanis Morrissette and Fiona Apple are boring because they’re trying too hard to be “deep,” provocative, and different (for the sake of being different); McLaughlan is boring because she’s too narcissistic, and Tori Amos is boring because she’s trying too hard to be Kate Bush (when she’s not trying to have sex with her piano).
However, there are individual songs by each of these people that are worth listening to. Fiona Apple’s song “Extraordinary Machine” is great, although the rest of the songs on that album are pretty pale in comparison. There was an Alanis Morrissette song that I liked for a while, but I guess it wasn’t very memorable because I’ve forgotten it now.
Sarah’s live shows are anything but boring, IMHO. She tends to play with excellent, creative musicians, and her sets are far more varied than her played-to-death ballads.
Lilith Fair was a gas, too. Indigo Girls stole the show, though. I still love Closer to Fine, but Voltaire was right: anything too stupid to be spoken is sung. Some neat turns of phrase, though.
I’m trying to tell you something about my life
Maybe give me insight between black and white
And the best thing youve ever done for me
Is to help me take my life less seriously
Its only life after all
Well darkness has a hunger that’s insatiable
And lightness has a call that’s hard to hear
I wrap my fear around me like a blanket
I sailed my ship of safety till I sank it
I’m crawling on your shores
I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountains
There’s more than one answer to these questions
Pointing me in a crooked line
And the less I seek my source for some definitive
The closer I am to fine
And I went to see the doctor of philosophy
With a poster of rasputin and a beard down to his knee
He never did marry or see a b-grade movie
He graded my performance, he said he could see through me
I spent four years prostrate to the higher mind
Got my paper and I was free
I stopped by the bar at 3 a.m.
To seek solace in a bottle or possibly a friend
And I woke up with a headache like my head against a board
Twice as cloudy as Id been the night before
And I went in seeking clarity.
I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountains
Yeah we go to the doctor, we go to the mountains
We look to the children, we drink from the fountains
Yeah we go to the bible, we go through the workout
We read up on revival and we stand up for the lookout
Theres more than one answer to these questions
Pointing me in a crooked line
The less I seek my source for some definitive
The closer I am to fine
I’ll never forgive Tori Amos for destroying Landslide, and it’s tough to get away from the image of Morrissette’s first career as Alanis, bubble-gum teen pop rocker.
True story. Five years back, we had a gas fireplace installed. Problem was, the chap who showed up to install it was a complete rookie. His step ladder was still wrapped in plastic, set of screwdrivers still in the sealed package, etc. My wife observed from the kitchen and became increasingly concerned each time he’d stop and scratch his head while trying to figure out the instructions.
Meanwhile, she had a Sarah M CD on, and in the middle of the song “Building a Mystery” the guy stopped, turned to my wife, and said, “Yep, that’s it. Building a mystery. I don’t have a clue how to put this thing together. Can I borrow your phone?”
And with that, he phoned his boss, then packed up his stuff and announced that an experienced installer would come out the next day to finish up the job!
Building mystery… yep, that’s it!
Jef
(To make a long story longer, supervisor shows up and finishes the job. BUT, he starts the thing up with a torch. He puts the hot torch down on the carpet directly in front of the fireplace and burns a hole through the carpet and underlay. Let’s just say that the installation of the fireplace was done gratis…as was the $3000 supply and installation of nice new carpet!)
Thanks bunches. I was blocking that.