“Possession” is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter
Sarah McLachlan
Sarah Ann McLachlan Order of Canada, OC Order of British Columbia, OBC (born January 28, 1968) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. As of 2015, she had sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is ''Surfacing ( ...
, and was the first
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
from her album ''
Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
''Fumbling Towards Ecstasy'' is the third studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan, released on 22 October 1993 in Canada, 15 February 1994 in the United States, 24 May 1994 in Japan, and 14 August 1994 in Australia. It was prod ...
.'' It was written and composed by McLachlan herself and was produced by
Pierre Marchand
Pierre Marchand (born 1958) is a Canadian songwriter, musician and record producer.
Marchand is known for his ongoing collaboration with Sarah McLachlan, having produced all of her albums since '' Solace'' in 1991. He also co-wrote several of M ...
. It was released in Canada on 10 September 1993 by
Nettwerk Records
Nettwerk Music Group is the umbrella company for Nettwerk Records, Nettwerk Management, and Nettwerk One Publishing.
Established in 1984, the Vancouver-based company was created by Nettwerk principals Terry McBride and Mark Jowett as a record ...
. The song appears twice on the album, as the first track and as a
hidden track
In the field of recorded music, a hidden track (sometimes called a ghost track, secret track or unlisted track) is a song or a piece of audio that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, LP record, or other recorded medium, in such a way as t ...
at the end, which is a solo piano version. “Possession” is written from the viewpoint of a man obsessed with a woman, and was inspired by consistent fan letters to McLachlan some time before the writing of the song from a computer programmer from Ottawa, Ontario named Uwe Vandrei, who sued McLachlan for using his words without crediting him. However, Vandrei committed suicide before the case could ever be taken to court.
The main recording of "Possession" also appeared on the 2008 compilation album ''
Closer: The Best of Sarah McLachlan,'' and McLachlan has also released live, alternate and remixed versions of the song.
Inspiration
The song was inspired by McLachlan's reaction to two deranged fans, both of whom had concocted a fantasy in which they were already in a relationship with her.
Of the two, the more famous is Uwe Vandrei, an
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
native who sued McLachlan in 1994, alleging that his love letters to her had been the basis of "Possession". Vandrei had written and sent McLachlan love poems, although there is no direct connection between those poems and the lyrics of "Possession." Vandrei's lawsuit never came to trial as he died by suicide in the autumn of 1994.
In an interview with ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' three years later, McLachlan said, "And this one person wasn't the only guy ... there were a lot of letters from other people saying the same kind of thing ... Writing the song 'Possession' was very therapeutic."
She also stated that, since the release of "Possession," she had stopped getting stalker-type fan letters, for which she was grateful.
Music videos
Canadian version
The original version of the video features a remixed background track and depicts Sarah McLachlan wrapped in white cloth, as
Eve
Eve (; ; ar, حَوَّاء, Ḥawwāʾ; el, Εὕα, Heúa; la, Eva, Heva; Syriac: romanized: ) is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the ...
,
Potiphar's wife
Potiphar's wife is a figure in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. She was the wife of Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard in the time of Jacob and his twelve sons. According to the Book of Genesis, she falsely accused Joseph of attempted r ...
, and other such
biblical
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
references, depicting vanity, deceit, corruption, intimacy and other
taboo
A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...
s of
conservative society. As McLachlan explained:
This video was directed by McLachlan herself, and features her friends and band members.
United States version
The video for the US market released in 1994 features the original album version of the song being played by McLachlan and her band in a
cathedral-style hall. It was directed by Julie Hermelin.
Track listing
;Nettwerk / W2-6319 (Canada)
# "Possession" (Version I)
# "Possession" (Version II)
# "Fear" (Jane's Mix)
* Version II remixed by
John Fryer John Fryer may refer to:
*John Fryer (physician) (died 1563), English physician, humanist and early reformer
*John Fryer (physician, died 1672), English physician
*John Fryer (travel writer) (1650–1733), British travel-writer and doctor
*Sir John ...
; remix also featured on the "
I Will Remember You" single.
;Arista / 07822-12662-2 (US)
# "Possession"
# "Fear" (Jane's Mix)
# "Mary" (Early Version)
# "Black" (Live at Harbourfront, Toronto), taken from ''
Live EP''
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Other versions
In addition to the two different versions of "Possession" appearing on the ''Fumbling Towards Ecstasy'' album, a live recording of the song is available on McLachlan's 1999 live concert album ''
Mirrorball.'' A fourth version, the
Rabbit in the Moon
Rabbit in the Moon is an American electronic music group that formed in 1991. Their style draws from psychedelic trance, house music and breakbeat, along with other diverse influences.
History
Formed in 1992 in Tampa, Florida, the group cons ...
remix, is available on two different McLachlan remix albums: ''
Rarities, B-Sides and Other Stuff
''Rarities, B-Sides & Other Stuff'' is a 1996 album by Sarah McLachlan.
It is a compilation of tracks that McLachlan recorded for film soundtracks, remixes of her own songs, covers of songs by other artists, and material that she recorded in c ...
'' and ''
Remixed.''
McLachlan recorded another version of the song for the 2005
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
-only digital album ''
iTunes Originals – Sarah McLachlan.''
Cover versions
*The Canadian alternative rock band
Evans Blue
Evans Blue is a Canadian Rock music, rock band from Toronto, founded in 2005. They have sold over one million albums worldwide, including five studio albums and one live album.
History
Origins (2005)
Evans Blue came together in early 2005 ...
covered "Possession" on their first album ''
The Melody and the Energetic Nature of Volume
''The Melody and the Energetic Nature of Volume'' is the debut studio album by Canadian rock band Evans Blue. It was released on February 21, 2006. The album spawned two singles, " Cold (But I'm Still Here)" and "Over." It has sold more than 200, ...
''.
*
Smile Empty Soul
Smile Empty Soul is an American rock band, originally from Santa Clarita, California, United States. It was started in 1998 by Sean Danielsen (vocals and guitar), Ryan Martin (bass), and Derek Gledhill (drums). Following the departure of Gled ...
included a cover of "Possession" on their 2007 EP ''
B-Sides
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...
''.
* The German
gothic metal
Gothic metal (or goth metal) is a fusion genre combining the aggression of heavy metal with the dark atmospheres of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy met ...
rock band
ASP covered "Possession" on their EP ''Werben''.
* British trance act Transfer released a dance version of "Possession" in 2001.
* Canadian hard rock/metal band Hellrazor covered "Possession" on their 2020 ''Hero No More'' album.
References
External links
*
*
{{Sarah McLachlan
1993 singles
Music videos directed by Sophie Muller
Sarah McLachlan songs
Arista Records singles
Nettwerk Records singles
Songs written by Sarah McLachlan
1993 songs
Songs involved in plagiarism controversies