Fallen

Sarah McLachlan

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 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 believe that we can change ourselves
The past can be undone
But we carry on our back, the burden time always reveals
In the lonely light of morning
In the wound that would not heal
It's the bitter taste of losing everything
That I've held so dear

I've fallen
I have sunk so low
I messed up
Better I should know
So don't come 'round here and
Tell me I told you so

Oh

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 turn their heads, embarrassed
Pretend that they don't see
That it's one missed step, 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 messed up
Better I should know
So don't come 'round here and
Tell me I told you so

Oh
I've messed up
Better, I should know
Don't come 'round here and
Tell me I told you so


Lyrics submitted by thewhitepony33, edited by slairess

Fallen Lyrics as written by Sarah Mclachlan

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Fallen song meanings
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89 Comments

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  • +6
    General CommentI think this song is mostly about giving up on life, after so many attempts to lead a "perfect" life, the person just says, "I'm through", "I tired of caring", "I'm done with life."
    angiec8420on December 22, 2009   Link
  • +5
    General CommentThis is the perfect song for giving up. Its realizing youve lost everything about yourself.
    wonnabe_emoon July 02, 2004   Link
  • +5
    General CommentTo me it's about trying for something you really wanted and failing miserably and dealing with that failure...
    abigailleon March 24, 2009   Link
  • +4
    General Comment"The lonely light of morning
    The wound that would not heal
    It's the bitter taste of losing everything
    That I have held so dear..."

    these are some of the most beautifully sung lyrics i've ever heard
    ChahLeaon January 23, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General CommentI think it's a song about screwing up royally.

    A lot of us (well, since most of you are teenagers you really haven't had much experience in meaningful relationships) have been in a situation where we try and do the right thing and just completely fuck it up.

    Or what we thought was right at the time, and we end up just alienating every one of our friends because we end up being the shit-head in the relationship.

    "I'm lost to those I thought were friends
    To everyone I know
    Oh they turned their heads embarassed
    Pretend that they don't see"

    It's a cascading failure of always saying the wrong thing, but never really meaning too.
    magicmanx9on February 05, 2005   Link
  • +2
    General CommentI think the beauty of this song is the fact so many people with so many different situations can relate to the lyrics. Personally I have a VERY different meaning than other people have mentioned here...
    Before I share my interpretation of the song I would just like to comment on myztikalspyril, you say that she doesn't believe in heaven/hell - If you are refering to the song 'Dear God' please do your research...she didn't write that song! She wrote this one.

    The opeing lines are the most powerfull..'heaven bent to take my hand'... it is not only God or angels taking her hand, but the ENTIRE heaven...she has found heaven to be her only refuge...in ANY situation.
    Aymagion June 18, 2008   Link
  • +2
    Song MeaningPersonally, I think this song is about getting out of a long-term abusive relationship and trying to start over. In an abusive relationship, you end up distancing yourselves from friends and family, and keep making the same mistakes repeatedly until you finally have enough and move on. I think this is about looking back on it and realizing all the mistakes that have been made and realizing there's nobody left now that she's moved on.
    goodejujuon November 08, 2008   Link
  • +2
    General CommentI know a lot of you are young and not that experienced in life, but this is a song about coping with addiction (probably alcoholism). A lot of the consequences of addiction and themes of 12 step recovery are present directly in the lyrics. First is an acknowledgment that a "higher power" is required for recovery (read the first verse). Addicts/alcoholics try everything but usually fail many times in their search to break the addiction. The allure of the drug, drink, food, sex, gamble, or whatever the problem is overwhelming (second verse). Their addiction is the wound that would not heal, the burden carried on their backs, that, in time, is revealed the next time an opportunity to drink or use presents itself. Addicts/alcoholics engage in regrettable behavior and often lose family, friends, jobs, everything they "held so dear". Lastly, there's the use of the words "missed step" (i.e. of the 12 steps, can't skip any of them) and "you'll slip". A "slip" is exactly how addicts/alcoholics refer to prohibited behavior (i.e. taking a drink).

    Nice interpretations everyone. But to a recovering addict, there's no mistaking what this song is about.
    bonodogon September 21, 2008   Link
  • +2
    General Commentthis song is about looking at your life and suddenly realizing that everything you once held dear is now completely gone-especially the people you thought were your friends- and blaming yourself for messing up somewhere along the way to end up the way you are now...beautiful song.
    taylvron March 25, 2010   Link
  • +2
    My InterpretationMy interpretation of this song is that it is about a woman in a relationship gone sour. Something happened in a past relationship which she is not proud of. By starting a new, innocent relationship she thought that it was all behind her and she could start anew, but her past came flying back (maybe she had an affair) leading to the destruction of her new relationship, leading to her hitting rock bottom. She's lost all of her friends, her relationship and she feels like it is all her fault and she has lost everything that mattered in her life.
    earthgoddesson October 04, 2010   Link

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