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 |   Originally for the 30-Day Blog Challenge. Now just a blog about a flailing mermaid |
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The 30 Day Blogging Challenge ..... lets see how far I get... Pretty far it seems! Winner (1st place) for the July 2013 "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS"  Second place for the September 2014 "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" |
| Our Final stop on our Sarah McLachlan tour is Monsters, which was on the Shine On album (2014) I've chosen this as the final song because it shocked me. My Sarah McLachlan journey 100% centres around her albums between 1994 and 2005. I certainly continued listening to them well beyond 2005. But her "newer" albums (between 2006 and 2016) mean very little to me. I've probably given them all a cursory listen, but I know for sure it cannot have been more than once or twice (if that). When I started looking for songs for this challenge, I already knew that the first two albums would be mostly ignored. However, I donāt think I anticipated having four more recent albums that would also hold very little for me. Given that I'm writing this for WDCāa website I used to love but then disappeared fromāthe similarities struck me as something I need to explore but not overthink  More specifically, I've chosen Monsters because when I played it, I instantly recognised it, but I cannot think why. And I don't mean from the album but from somewhere else. It used to be that whenever I would hear a Sarah McLachlan song (on the radio or TV, I would immediately recognise it and point it out. I think I have heard Monsters somewhere and not realised what it was. So, it would seem that I have four albums to explore! When we were young there were always creatures lurking under the bed A thousand year old dragon lived deep in the lake and he said donāt be afraid So you dove in He seemed so sweet and lovely he made you laugh and made you forget about the rain Showed you new tricks on guitar hidden talents that erases the pain |
| Our next stop on our Sarah McLachlan tour is Just Like Me, which was on the Fumbling Towards Ecstasy album (1997) and Mirrorball (1999) For me, this song is simply about feeling good. I donāt think I have a story attached to it or a real reason for liking it. Although, thinking about it, back in the day, I'm pretty sure this was one of those songs that I would skip. I donāt think I had a reason for doing that, either. Strange. But I've included it here because it made me smile and connected the dots. Just before I started compiling these ten Sarah McLachlan songs, I received a review for this poem: "Ice Cream Day" The poem is silly. I probably spent way more time trying to make it look like an actual ice cream than I did thinking about the words of the poem. I know, I know, terrible. However, the reviewer had chosen the item that was most likely to make me smile and most likely remind me of my different levels of creativity. They didnāt know this. It is about 1000 years old, and they probably just reviewed a totally random item. But it happened to be this one, and I'm glad it was. So, I've chosen Sarah's Ice Cream as a reminder to myself that even things that make no sense can still be fun (my ice cream poem makes sense but barely š) Your love is better than ice cream Better than anything else that Iāve tried And your love is better than ice cream But everyone here knows how to fight And itās a long way down Itās a long way down Itās a long way down to the place Where we started from |
| Our next stop on our Sarah McLachlan tour is Just Like Me, which was on the Bloom album (2005) This is an odd selection for me. But we'll go with it. Just Like Me was on Sarah's second remix album, and, like Silence, the song only features Sarah rather than being one of her own. Itās a rap song ... is it? I donāt know; I know absolutely nothing about that genre. It is one of those genres that I pay no attention whatsoever to. But for some reason, I was completely obsessed with this song for a while. I remember constantly having it on in the car. When it got near the end of the song, I'd hit the back button, and the whole thing would start over. Why? I genuinely have no idea. I have just listened to it a few times, trying to find a reason. But other than being catchy and reminding me of car journeys, I can hear nothing that would cause this level of obsessive listening. What can I say? Sometimes, you just like what you like. You donāt always need a reason. As I walk through the corners of Cooley High I gotta be thankful that Iām still alive I have a lot of thoughts like who the hell am I What is the truth and what is a lie? But I think about my life and everything is okay I gotta pave the way to a brighter day Cause itās really plain and simple when it came to me Thereās a lot of people just like me (like me) Thereās a whole lot just like me (like me) |
| Our next stop on our Sarah McLachlan tour is Good Enough, which was on the Fumbling Towards Ecstasy album (1993/4) Good Enough is one of those songs that I've always loved but never really paid that much attention to. But I remember listening to it in the Paralympic Village in Beijing 2008. The Beijing 2008 Paralympics were bittersweet for me. I had the best time but also the worst time. I had a severely wrecked shoulder - wow, it was so painful - and some sports politics was going on that screwed up my chances of getting a gold medal. Long story. On the last day, once all the racing was done, most people went sightseeing for the day. But I was in so much pain that even the idea of going out made me feel sick. So, I just stayed in my room, reading and listening to music. This song came on, and it made me feel like what I'd just done was good enough. Nope, nothing had gone to plan, but a Paralympic silver medal was good enough. It just so happened that my roommate arrived back just as the song was ending, and her first words were: "Oh, geez, have you been lying around, listening to sappy music, feeling sorry for yourself all day?" I laughed because, yes, technically, I had. But I felt better for it. Itās not the wind that cracked your shoulder And threw you to the ground Whoās there that makes you so afraid? Youāre shaken to the bone And no, I donāt understand You deserve so much more than this |
| Our next stop on our Sarah McLachlan tour is Silence (Delerium), which was on the Sarah McLachlan Remixed album (2001) I said that Angel was Sarah's most well-known song, and I stand by this. But I wonder whether Silence has been heard the most - without people realising it is a Sarah McLachlan track. I'm sure people donāt pay too much attention to the music while raving. Sarah had two remix albums, which I've probably listened to just as much as her other albums. They add an extra layer to the depth of her music. As a competitive swimmer, I always listened to music just before going out to race. More often than notāespecially when iPods became availableāI would create playlists of music that I enjoyed and got fired up by. For years, Silence was on those Playlists. I can't remember all the music I used to play during these times (and when because some songs came and went), but there is a very high chance that I listened to Silence just before winning at least one of my international medals. Give me release Witness me I am outside Give me peace Heaven holds a sense of wonder And I wanted to believe that Iād get caught up When the rage in me subsides |
| Our next stop on our Sarah McLachlan tour is Hold On, which was on the Fumbling Towards Ecstasy album (1993/4) This song is about coming to terms with the impending death of a loved one. However, if you look it up on Google, youāll see that there are lots of claims as to what the song is about. But I am pretty confident that it was indeed inspired by a woman whose husband was dying from a long-term illness. These days, I sometimes think of this song when I'm about to do something really difficult: this is gonna hurt like hell. But back in the day, this is not what I thought of. I have seen Sarah McLachlan live twice: once in Cambridge, UK (my hometown), and once in Manchester, UK. I went to both concerts with a few friends who all shared my love for Sarah. Around the time of the second concert, one of my friendās father had just been diagnosed with cancer. It was an incredibly sad time, and while we were looking forward to getting together and going to this concert, it probably wasnāt the best timing. It wasn't the best time to go see a musician who made you feel all the emotions, many of which you didnāt want to feel. We were dreading this song. My friend knew why it had been written, and she felt like every word meant something to her at that time. Of course, Sarah played it. The second the first cord played, we held our breath. It was beautifully haunting and sad, but my friend loved it. She said it was like a form of therapy: a few minutes where she could just sit and feel what she felt without having to pretend to be okay. Hold on, hold on to yourself For this is gonna hurt like hell Hold on, hold on to yourself You know that only time will tell What is it in me that refuses to believe This isnāt easier than the real thing |
| Our next stop on our Sarah McLachlan tour is Push, which was on the Aftetglow album (2004) This is one of my favourite Sarah songs I think. But over time, it has meant different things to me. Now it just makes me smile and think of my husband ... who I do love, just to be clear š Push is an all-out love song. It was written for Sarah's husband after she suffered from post-natal depression. Now, I wouldn't say I'm a love song kind of girl. I donāt lie around listening to smushy love songs, trying to find hidden signs or meanings. Thatās not me. But sometimes, you like what you like, and you just need to embrace that. I remember getting the Afterglow album just as I was heading away on a two-week swim camp. I took the album with me and listened to it in my downtime. I was 18 or 19 and living with my partner at the time. I thought I was hopelessly in love and had gotten lucky to have already had found the person I would be with forever. Please, I was 18, for god sake! When I came to listen to Push, I was adamant that it absolutely said everything I felt about my partner. So, I told them this and said they had to listen to it! It was so perfect. Later, when I hated this person... who saw that coming?... this song made me mad, and it made me cry. It was a long time before I could listen to it without crying. As it turned out, the person I thought I loved was the complete opposite of the person in this song. Now, many years later, I have a husband who really does fit the bill. He's kind and supportive, and he makes me feel less crazy. Although, occasionally, he is the cause of the crazy, too. I have played this song to my husband and told him that it often reminds me of him, but I havenāt attached it to him. Instead, I mostly attach Push to myself. I now play this song as a reminder of the kindness I need to show myself to keep going when things feel tricky. I get mad so easy but you give me room to breathe No matter what I say or do ācause youāre to good to fight about it Even when I have to push just to see how far youāll go You wont stoop down to battle but you never turn to go |
| Our next stop on our Sarah McLachlan tour is Angel, which was on the Surfacing album (1997) and Mirrorball (1999) Oooph, okay. Angel is probably Sarah's most well-known song. Here in the UK, it is very rare for a Sarah song to be played on the radio, but I've heard this one. I think this was the first one I ever heard outside the four walls of my bedroom (or my friend's). I would also say it is possibly her saddest song. In a general sense. It was inspired by articles that she read in Rolling Stone about musicians turning to heroin to cope with the pressures of the music industry and subsequently overdosing, most notably Jonathan Melvoin, a keyboardist for the Smashing Pumpkins, who died of an overdose in 1996. Later, it became the unofficial song of the 9/11 disaster, something I always remember, to this day, when I hear this song. There is no such thing as a "perfect song" for such a tragedy. No one writes a song for that. But parts of this song did fit perfectly. Other parts of the song are clearly written about someone having a really crappy time with life. What has really struck me about Angel is how we interpret music differently, even at different points in life. For most, though, this will forever be an incredibly sad and moving song (i.e., donāt listen to it if you want to feel happy). So tired of the straight line And everywhere you turn Thereās vultures and thieves at your back And the storm keeps on twisting You keep on building the lie That you make up for all that you lack It donāt make no difference Escaping one last time Itās easier to believe in this sweet madness oh This glorious sadness that brings me to my knees |
| Our next stop on our Sarah McLachlan tour is Touch, which was on the Touch album (1988) Looking back, I think part of my melancholy toward Sarah Mclachlan at the start is that I never actually liked her first two albums. Although I will say, Solace grew on me as I got older. For some reason, even though it came earlier than Surfacing, I don't remember listening to Fumbling Towards Ecstasy until much later. That album would've converted me much sooner. It is probably still my favourite. But for a long time, my friend only had the Touch and Solace albums to play, neither of which particularly spoke to me in my late teens. Especially the Touch album. The "Touch" song is an instrumental piece, which I find dull. I'm not great at listening to long instrumentals because I'm forever anticipating the move to more, but more never comes. So, if I find it dull, why is it here? Even if you love an artist and can play them on repeat, there has to be a song (or album) that you skip. Touch will nearly always be a skip for me. |
| So, it would seem I'm back(ish) on WDC. Well, if you class buying a membership and deleting nearly 200 items from my porfolio as back, then I'm back. I had absolutely zero intention of entering any contests or doing any activities. But then I spotted Barrel of Monkeys. I figured that while I was exploring something I used to love but had forgotten about, I might as well double up. Allow me to take you on a mini journey through my time with Sarah Mclachlan playing in the background - or not as the case may be. You're probably reading the first entry last since thatās how they will be displayed to you. It doesnāt really matter. Only the first and last are in any strict order. Enjoy. Our first stop on our Sarah McLachlan tour is Adia, which was on the Surfacing album (1997) If I'm honest, Surfacing was never my favourite album. Although, as I looked to make this list, there were a few more than I thought could have made it. But Adia is where we begin, as it is where I began my journey. My best friend at the time was a big Sarah McLachlan fan. We shared a love for various artists and types of music. I've never been a single-genre girl; I'm quite content with my eclectic tastes and having a broad array of tunes I can turn to. But for some reason, I wasn't interested whenever my friend turned on Sarah. In what must have been the late 1990s/early 2000s, my friend got her hands on the Surfacing album, and I think she was very much hoping I would fall in love with it. After all, it was probably one of the only things we didnāt have in common (music-wise, at least). She played the album a few times, and I admit, I warmed to it. But there was definitely one song that stood out to me. Adia. It wasn't long before I picked up my own Sarah albums and started playing them on repeat, making sure they were always uploaded to my iPods, etc. There is no real reason I can think of for Adia to stand out to me at the time. But I'm glad it did. Adia, I'm empty since you left me Trying to find a way to carry on I search myself and everyone To see where we went wrong |
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I thought I was late.... Come.... Fran!!!! Join us!!!! You're not that late. 
It sounds also as if you are a bit of an empath...the negative energy is really easy to absorb into your life. I can relate to that, and like you, I am an upbeat person, and prefer to be around positive energy. 
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