“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 tried my best, but somewhere along the way/I got caught up in all there was to offer/But the cost was so much more than I could bear.”
— from “Fallen”
Sarah McLachlan cites the dictionary in the bio for her new album, defining Afterglow as “the glow or light that remains once the sun is gone.” This poetic reference to twilight is an appropriate summary of the transitional themes found in her ten new songs. It’s been six years since the release of her multi-platinum Surfacing; within one of those years, McLachlan both lost her mother to cancer and became a mother herself.
It’s therefore understandable that Afterglow resonates with emotional and spiritual impact. After all, McLachlan’s hauntingly beautiful vocals and songwriting are the epitome of emotion for many, and she’s made a few passing references to faith in her lyrics over the years. Granted, her previous albums have also made occasional use of profanity and explicit sexuality; she in fact appears nude in a bathtub (strategically covered) in the video for her new single, “Fallen.” But McLachlan has also expressed admiration for Christian artists like Sixpence None the Richer, Jennifer Knapp, Over the Rhine, Kendall Payne, and Ginny Owens.
Most of Afterglow‘s tracks are inspired by relationships, as clearly heard in the intervention of “Stupid” and the stresses of marriage revealed in “Time.” McLachlan offers a plea for a wayward loved one to return home from a selfish lifestyle in “Drifting,” comparable to the familiar story of the Prodigal. The 9/11 inspired “World on Fire” expresses fear of raising a family in a dangerous world, challenging listeners to “find a calling” to make a difference. For a more clear-cut spiritual theme, check out “Fallen” (excerpted above), which reads like a Psalm of sorrow, admitting defeat and a need for heaven-sent grace.
“Push,” written for McLachlan’s husband, is a song of praise for unconditional love that could apply to anyone, including God: “You’ve seen me at my weakest, but you take me as I am/And when I fall you offer me a softer place to land/You stay the course, you hold the line, you keep it all together/You’re the one true thing I know I can believe in/You’re all the things that I desire, you save me, you complete me.” She offers a similar desire for renewal in the love song “Train Wreck,” singing, “To fall so deep into you/Lose myself completely/In your sweet embrace/All my pain’s erased…’Cause I’m a train wreck waiting to happen/Waiting for someone to come pick me up off the tracks.” And “Answer” could be a conversation with God: “I will be the answer at the end of the line/I will be there for you while you take the time,” followed by the bridge response, “Cast me gently into morning, for the night has been unkind/Take me to a place so holy, that I can wash this from my mind.”
Most songwriters are content to let their songs speak to listeners however they hear it. While her own beliefs may not be entirely clear, it can surely be said that McLachlan has a gift for elevating romance and everyday struggles into something more sacred on Afterglow.
Unless specified clearly, we are not implying whether this artist is or is not a Christian. The views expressed are simply the author’s. For a more complete description of our Glimpses of God articles, click here.
