Sarah McL Articles (General)

[Islandflyer]

If you have seen "Apocalypse Now" (based on Heart of Darkness), for instance, with Marlon Brando, you can get an approximation of the depths of the darkness in men's souls that Conrad plumbed so expertly. It is not so much that in particular, but the ability to evoke emotions from the way prose, lyrics or poetry is written that I was thinking of in this comparison. Sarah somehow learned how to open this window into the soul that Conrad learned of from hard experience.

For example, "...What ravages of spirit conjured this tempestuous rage'..." captures this essence perfectly. Wonderfully poetic, and it sounds almost Medieval (maybe her Gothic interest?). That should fit right in with your literature, Karine!

[Karine]

If you have seen "Apocalypse Now" (based on Heart of Darkness), for instance, with Marlon Brando, you can get an approximation of the depths of the darkness in men's souls that Conrad plumbed so expertly. It is not so much that in particular, but the ability to evoke emotions from the way prose, lyrics or poetry is written that I was thinking of in this comparison. Sarah somehow learned how to open this window into the soul that Conrad learned of from hard experience.

For example, "...What ravages of spirit conjured this tempestuous rage'..." captures this essence perfectly. Wonderfully poetic, and it sounds almost Medieval (maybe her Gothic interest?). That should fit right in with your literature, Karine!

I never saw this movie neither

Sometimes, it's hard for me to understand poetry in English, because it's not my mother tongue. My knowledge of the language is not sufficient (I'm not able to get it all). I know the words separately but when I read them together, it's too obscure for me to get the message they're delivering.

It also happens with songs, like "Ice" for example. I just don't understand what it's about. I understand the words, but I can't figure out the meaning underneath them.

I don’t like your tragic sighs
As if your god has passed you by well hey fool
That’s your deception
Your angels speak with jilted tongues
The serpent’s tale has come undone you have no
Strength to squander

I have no idea what she's saying there.

[Islandflyer]

If you have seen "Apocalypse Now" (based on Heart of Darkness), for instance, with Marlon Brando, you can get an approximation of the depths of the darkness in men's souls that Conrad plumbed so expertly. It is not so much that in particular, but the ability to evoke emotions from the way prose, lyrics or poetry is written that I was thinking of in this comparison. Sarah somehow learned how to open this window into the soul that Conrad learned of from hard experience.

For example, "...What ravages of spirit conjured this tempestuous rage'..." captures this essence perfectly. Wonderfully poetic, and it sounds almost Medieval (maybe her Gothic interest?). That should fit right in with your literature, Karine!

I never saw this movie neither

Sometimes, it's hard for me to understand poetry in English, because it's not my mother tongue. My knowledge of the language is not sufficient (I'm not able to get it all). I know the words separately but when I read them together, it's too obscure for me to get the message they're delivering.

It also happens with songs, like "Ice" for example. I just don't understand what it's about. I understand the words, but I can't figure out the meaning underneath them.

I don’t like your tragic sighs
As if your god has passed you by well hey fool
That’s your deception
Your angels speak with jilted tongues
The serpent’s tale has come undone you have no
Strength to squander

I have no idea what she's saying there.

To me this song is about drug addiction, with its many references and "ice" is the street slang for heroin.

The ice is thin come on dive in
underneath my lucid skin
the cold is lost, forgotten
Hours pass days pass time stands still
light gets dark and darkness fills
my secret heart forbidden...

Sarah has said it was written because she was exposed to the horrible teenage prostitution and corruption in Cambodia and Thailand, and drugs were certainly part of that. This verse, I think refers, in metaphoric fashion, to the loss of freedom and innocence by the young girls and boys taken into what is now called "sex slavery" and the corrupting influences it has not just on the victims, but on the perpetrators of these crimes and the customers who "enjoy" them, but are themselves selling their own souls in their addiction to this morally bankrupt practice.

The time passes endlessly for those drugged or being victimized, with no hope of escaping. They can only hope.

Those who seek out those perversions are as victimized by their conduct as the prostitutes are. The serpent is the hold over their souls the drugs and prostitution has, and they are deceiving themselves to think they can control it. "only a fool here".

See, it's much easier said in well-crafted verse, and is more beautiful to listen to as well than is a long-winded explanation. For me, even if I don't sometimes quite get the image her metaphors are describing, the sense of the song (or poem, if you just read it) is clear to me. I can feel the depth of the sadness and hopelessness of these unfortunate people, even if I too have trouble articulating it. And I can admire the choice of the words she has used, and how they work so well to set up the scene and carry us along to the end of the story. And we are moved as well by the way she has sung and played so beautifully that, perhaps, we are momentarily speechless.

Does that make any sense? I believe I have noticed also that sometimes she has trouble herself describing a song, and prefers to let her lyrics do it. If there is some ambiguity in the verses, often the case with her earlier songs, then that leaves it open to many explanations, even ones she might not have considered. Such songs can have a timeless aspect then, since human nature doesn't change.

Since pop singers don't usually go to the places she has often gone with her darker songs, it seems amazing that she gained so much popularity with the songs from this era. But maybe people weren't listening anyway, but were just enjoying the music. I started out that way, but then she captured my full attention.

Do you study Medieval poetry from your period of specialization? Maybe translating Old French to Modern English might help with the understanding of it in English.

The verse on my signature I particularly like because it captures so many different ideas at once. They could be good, or bad, or even both. It's true in so many situations.

[Karine]

My understanding really depends on the songs. On Solace, Shelter or Mercy are songs that I like a lot, I understand what they're about, but on the other hand, Back Door Man is a complete mystery to me.

You explanation was helpful, thank you! I studied medieval poetry, but even when we tanslate it to modern French, we loose a bit of its beauty.

Being able to understand Sarah's writing is a big part of why I don't listen to Touch very often. Musically speaking, I like the songs, but lyrically, well, it's very different. Sad Clown, I don't get it at all (and why that title?)

I first got attracted to her music when I heard Building A Mystery and Sweet Surrender on the radio in the 90s. One of my friend gave me FTE as a birthday gift, but I'm not sure that it would have been the same if she had given me Touch.

Being able to understand poetry, even in your mother tongue, is not always easy so imagine when it's in some other language.

A fun thing I learned recently that involves Sarah:
At the end of July, there was a "blue moon". In French, it's also called "lune bleue". It was the first time that I heard this expression, even in French. I was listening to the weather channel while they were explaining the phenomenon and the guy on TV said that there's an English expression using it, "once in a blue moon", which means that something doesn't happen frequently.
That day, for the first time, I understood what Sarah was saying at the end of Witness on the Afterglow live CD.

[Karine]

This is different and interesting.

Our Lady of Sensuality, Sarah McLachlan
Life lessons and erotic discovery through music.
https://thehairpin.com/our-lady-of-sens ... .ymh0o79vw

[CarolCiola]

Maybe some new song live?

http://blackburnnews.com/bri-entertainm ... s-the-hip/

[Karine]

I will let you know if she sings a new song this Saturday!

[CarolCiola]

Aww totally forgot that you'll be there, Karine! Have a good time and tell us everything

[CarolCiola]

Two new radio interviews, where she talks about touring with Josh Groban and the jazz festival:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AutIsr7cfA8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcr59Na6R3U

[Karine]

Thanks!

Also this interview (but I'm not sure you'll be able to watch it outside of Canada):
http://globalnews.ca/news/2782701/watch ... jazz-fest/