World On Fire

Album: Afterglow (2003)
Charted: 72
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • McLachlan wrote this song in response to the September 11 attacks on US. The song finds her feeling helpless in a world where such horrific events unfold:

    The world's on fire and
    It's more than I can handle
  • The video simply shows McLachlan performing the song in a plain room. A graphic reveals that the video cost $150,000, but only $15 was spent to make the video. The rest was donated to various charities.

Comments: 5

  • Amber from San Francisco, CaI always suspected that this song was written about 9/11 but I was never positive until I read this page. Such a beautiful song, but did you expect anything less from Sarah? She is truly one of the greatest and most talented artists of our time and I have always been a fan of hers.
  • Kami from New York City, NyI love this song. Sarah McLachlan made a great video. I knew that it's good to give money. I never thought of taking movey I'd spend on like a shopping spree and using it on something good
  • Nader Balata from Toronto, CanadaSarah had said in many interviews that this song is a response to the 911 attacks. Incidentally, if you watch the video it seems like a message about the worsening conditions of Africa.
  • Eric from Brantford, CanadaWhen asked why she wrote this song, I have heard a number of stories from Sarah. The most obvious is the 9/11 attacks on New York, but there's still more. I think it might have something to do with her own life.
  • Andrew from Ny, Nyi lost 2 friends in the towers. healing is still being done.
    songs like theis, and the boss's, really help.
    thank u!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Mike Campbell

Mike CampbellSongwriter Interviews

Mike is lead guitarist with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and co-writer of classic songs like "Boys Of Summer," "Refugee" and "The Heart Of The Matter."

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.

Rock Revenge Songs

Rock Revenge SongsMusic Quiz

John Lennon, Paul Simon and Lynyrd Skynyrd are some of the artists who have written revenge songs. Do you know who they wrote them about?

Band Names

Band NamesFact or Fiction

Was "Pearl" Eddie Vedder's grandmother, and did she really make a hallucinogenic jam? Did Journey have a contest to name the group? And what does KISS stand for anyway?

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater RevivalFact or Fiction

Is "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" about Vietnam? Was John Fogerty really born on a Bayou? It's the CCR edition of Fact or Fiction.

Thomas Dolby

Thomas DolbySongwriter Interviews

He wrote "She Blinded Me With Science" so he could direct a video about a home for deranged scientists.