Lyrics

Heaven bend to take my hand
And lead me through the fire
Be the long awaited answer
To a long and painful fight
Truth be told I’ve tried my best
But somewhere along the way
I got caught up in all there was to offer
And the cost was so much more than I could bear

Though I’ve tried, I’ve fallen
I have sunk so low
I have messed up
Better I should know
So don’t come round here
And tell me I told you so

We all begin with good intent
When love was raw and young
We believed that we could change ourselves
The past can be undone
But we carry on our back the burdens
Time always reveals
In the lonely light of morning
The wound that would not heal
It’s the bitter taste of losing everything I have held so dear

Though I’ve tried, I’ve fallen
I have sunk so low
I have messed up
Better I should know
So don’t come round here
And tell me I told you so

Heaven bend to take my hand
I’ve nowhere left to turn
I’m lost to those I thought were friends
To everyone I know
Oh they turned their heads embarrassed
Pretend that they don’t see
But it’s one misstep one slip before you know it
And there doesn’t seem a way to be redeemed

Though I’ve tried, I’ve fallen
I have sunk so low
I have messed up
Better I should know
So don’t come round here
And tell me I told you so

 

Appears on

Afterglow (2003)
Afterglow Live (2004)
Bloom Remix Album (2005)
Closer: The Best Of Sarah McLachlan (2008)
The Essential Sarah McLachlan (2013)

Live EP 2004 (2004)

Afterglow Live DVD (2004)

Fallen (single)
Fallen/Stupid (DVD)

 

Versions

Album Version
from “Afterglow”
Track length: 3:46

Live: Acoustic
from the “Live EP 2004″
Track length: 3:44

Live: Afterglow Live
from “Afterglow Live”
Track length: 3:51

Live: iTunes Originals
from Sarah’s “iTunes Originals” album
Track length: 3:32

Album Mix
from “Fallen” (Single)
Track length: 3:51

Radio Edit
from “Fallen” (Promo EU)
Track length: 3:38

Radio Mix/Tom Lorde-Alge Mix
from “Fallen” (Single)
Track length: 3:47

Gabriel & Dresden Anti-Gravity Mix
from “Bloom Remix Album” / Fallen (12″ Promo)
Track length: 7:58

Satoshie Tomiie Interpretation
from “Bloom Remix Album” Japanese Bonus Track / Fallen (12″ Promo)
Track length: 10:04

Gabriel & Dresden Anti-Gravity Mix Edit
from “Remix Edits” (UK)
Track length: ???

Satoshie Tomiie Interpretation Edit
from “Remix Edits” (UK)
Track length: ???

Dan The Automator Mix
from “Charmed: Book of Shadows”
Track length: 3:43

 

Compilations

Credits

Vocals, Piano: Sarah McLachlan
Drums, Percussion: Ashwin Sood
Keyboards: Pierre Marchand
Guitars: Sean Ashby, Michael Chaves, Bill Dillon, Michel Pepin
Bass: Tony Levin, Pierre Marchand
Chello: Jorane

 

Collaborations

Alison Krauss
Alison and Sarah performed the song together at the 2004 Grammy Awards. Alison played the violin and sang some backup vocals.

 

Trivia/Notes

– Nominated for a Grammy Award for best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
– The Single CD was certified Gold in America in October 2004.
– The Single CD also topped the Billboard Hot Digital Tracks for a week.
– Sarah performed the song at Live 8 in Philadelphia on July 2nd.
– It was the first song to be written for ‘Afterglow’.
– The ‘Dan the Automator’ Mix of ‘Fallen’ appeared on Season 7 premiere of Charmed.

 

Sarah says

Steeve Inskeep: […]Play the way that that song was at the beginning, how it started.
Sarah: Sure, I could play Fallen. That was the very first song I wrote.
Steeve Inskeep: Is there a melody first or a word?
Sarah: Uhm, it’s usually [a] melody. But I remember that there was “Heaven bend to take my hand”. That was there. “And lead me through the fire”.
– National Public Radio, August 20th 2004

 

Music Video