Lyrics

Hearts are worn in these dark ages
You’re not alone in this story’s pages
The light has fallen amongst the living and the dying
And I’ll try to hold it in
Yeah I’ll try to hold it in

The world’s on fire it’s more than I can handle
I tap into the water and try to bring my share
I try to bring more, more than I can handle
I’ll bring it to the table
I’ll bring what I am able

I watch the heavens but I find no calling
Something I can do to change what’s coming
Stay close to me while the sky’s falling
I don’t wanna be left alone, don’t wanna be alone

The world’s on fire it’s more than I can handle
I tap into the water and try to bring my share
I try to bring more, more than I can handle
I’ll bring it to the table
I’ll bring what I am able

Hearts break, hearts mend, love still hurts
Visions clash, planes crash, still there’s talk of
Saving souls, still the cold’s closing in on us
We part the veil on our killer sun
Stray from the straight line on this short run
The more we take, the less we become
A fortune of one man means less for some

The world’s on fire it’s more than I can handle
I tap into the water and try to bring my share
I try to bring more, more than I can handle
I’ll bring it to the table
I’ll bring what I am able
The world’s on fire it’s more than I can handle

I tap into the water and try to bring my share
I try to bring more, more than I can handle
I’ll bring it to the table
I’ll bring what I am able

 

Appears on

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

Afterglow Live DVD (2004)

World On Fire (single)
Stupid (single)

 

Versions

Album Version
from “Afterglow”
Track length: 3:23

feat. Robbie Robertson
from “Into The West” OST
Track length: 4:28

Live: Afterglow Live
from “Afterglow Live”
Track length: 4:13

Tom Lord-Alge Radio Mix
from “World On Fire” (Single Promo)
Track length: ???

Junkie XL Mix
from “Stupid” (Taiwan Single)
Track length: 12:23

Junkie XL Club Mix
from “World On Fire” (12″ Promo)
Track length: 12:24

Junkie XL Club Mix Edit/GM Edit
from “Bloom Remix Album”
Track length: 6:29

Junkie XL Radio Mix
from “World On Fire” (Single Promo)
Track length: 3:46

Junkie XL Mix Show Edit
from “World On Fire” (CAN Single Promo)
Track length: ???

Solarstone “Afterhours” Mix
from “World On Fire” (Taiwan Single Enhanced)
Track lenght: 8:42

Marius De Vries Mix
from “World On Fire” (12″ Promo)
Track length: 4:31

Marius De Vries Radio Edit
from “Will & Grace” OST
Track length: 4:00

 

Compilations

Credits

Vocals, Piano: Sarah McLachlan
Drums, Percussion, Loops: Ashwin Sood
Keyboards, Guitar, Bass: Pierre Marchand
Guitar: Bill Dillon, Michel Pepin, Mark Jowett
Vocal Treatments: Jorane

 

Collaborations

Robbie Robertson
Pierre Marchand remixed the song with Robbie Robertson for the ‘Into The West’ soundtrack.

 

Trivia/Notes

– The original video (the one directed by Sophie Muller) was nominated for an MTV in the category ‘Breakthrough Video’.

 

Sarah says

Sarah: “[…] That was one of the two songs that I wrote after having my child. And my producer had just had a son two months before I had my daughter and…so, we were looking at the world, post 9/11, as new parents thinking “what a scary place this is” and “how do we raise our children with compassion and understanding” and how do we try and make the world a better place so that in 20 years, when they’re adults, they have something…good.”
Steeve Inskeep: “The lyrics here…’Visions clash, planes crash’…”
Sarah: “Well, an obvious reference to 9/11″
Steeve Inskeep: “…’Still there’s talk of saving souls’ and a little bit later on ‘the fortune of one man means less for some’”
Sarah: “Well I’m talking about, you know, western culture and greed and corporations taking over the world and a very few, small number of men having an incredible amount of money. Third world countries suffer…it’s just scary when few people have so much power. […]”
– National Public Radio, August 20th 2004

 

Music Video