Sarah McLachlan – Dirty Little Secret

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If I had the chance love
I would not hesitate
To tell you all things I never said before
Don't tell me it's too late
'Cause I've relied on my illusion
To keep me warm at night
And I've denied in my capacity to love
But I am willing to give up this fight

I've been up all night drinking to drown my sorrows down
But nothing seems to help me since you went away
I'm so tired of this town where every tongue is wagging
When every back is turned
They're telling secrets that should never be revealed
There's nothing to be gained from this but disaster

Here's a good one
Did you hear about my friend
He's embarrassed to be seen now
'Cause we all know his sins

If I had the chance love
I would not hesitate
To tell you all things I never said before
Don't tell me it's too late
'Cause I've relied on my illusion
To keep me warm at night
And I've denied in my capacity to love
But I am willing to give up this fight

Oh, I am willing to give up this fight

Send "Dirty Little Secret" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by WinterOnyx

Track duration: 04:53

"Dirty Little Secret" as written by Sarah Ann Mclachlan

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Dirty Little Secret song meanings
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9 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment:Though I understand this to be about an affair, obviously, when I was younger a dear friend of mine whom I knew was gay ended up marrying a woman and becoming a youth minister. He never spoke to me again, only on rare occasions and I believe it was due to his being ashamed knowing what I knew and how far from the truth it was. I did see a picture of his beautiful daughter and can only hope that he is genuinely happy without any regrets and that he isn't brain washed by the church to "stave off his inner demons." Anywho, just a different perspective on a song that is now quite frank in content. Sometimes it is a sparse few words of a song that can be excetpionally meaningful and the part about every tongue is wagging really hits home.
    Flag driftingdreameron May 26, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I had watched Alias Season 5 in the episode where Vaughn "dies" and I heard this song play at his funeral. I thought it was really beautiful and I decided to look it up and I found out it was "Dirty Little Secret." I think it's so pretty. Alias did always choose good music...
    Flag marshalljflinkmanon November 22, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this song is much more so about having to love someone in a chaotic, dettached world and how agonizing that can be. It seems to be about a man concerned with his reputation, caught in the vanity of a world that doesn't truly value him as a whole person and the love a woman has for him regardless. But in spite of that, based on the place by which she is stranded she doesn't know how to reach him but keeps herself from the chaotic world around her waiting for him to return to her.
    Flag CatsEyeon October 16, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is the most important song in my whole life right now, if it was a person i would run and embrace it with all my heart. But at the same time I would cry, because it is describing EXACTLY what is going on in my life right now. Recently, I had been forced to move against my will, to a town in which I knew hardly anyone, and which was far, far away from where I grew up. I was detached from everything and everyone I love, and practically lost myself along with it all. I moved from my mother, and all my childhood friends, all that i loved, including my boyfriend. Every night I would cry myself to sleep, thinking about how I missed everyone and the only way I could finally dive in a fitful sleep was after I would imagine that he was there, that he still loved me and imagined the warm embrace of him and everyone. I tried my hardest when I first found out I would be living with my other parent to come back home, screaming and wailing until after a while i just all meaning to fight for it anymore. So, tired and dazed, I eventually gave in. I was scared that after I came back home after the bloody tear-filled 9 months that I would have lost all love and care for those that i had once cherished so closely, or, even worse, that they would not love me anymore, or that I would forget and not want to come home at all. I would sit and daydream all day long, often feeling drunken and far away, hiding inside myself as the days melted into eachother. I felt if I didn't do much, then it would all be over soon, like a bad daydream. But I still felt a huge knot inside me, I was screaming inside my head and heart, but no one else could here me. I just felt like an empty space without my home, without love. I was so sick of living with my Dad, it was horrible. I would think endlessly about my boyfriend, waiting for the day when I could come home and see him, feel his embrace in full and real life and flesh, and not just sparks of my desperate mind. But that day never came. I wanted to phone him, talk or contact him somehow, but i didnt know what to say, and I was afraid of what he would say, and what would happen, and because of my hesitation, I was dumped. It had happened before. But never like this. I realised then that i had actually been in love an not just going out with someone because I was bored, as in my usual reason. And because of that, I got paranoid, thinking about whether people actually still cared, or whether I was only an important character in their play when I was on stage. I worried about what people were saying about me, whether they had been speaking, or doing, things behind my back, telling everyone things they would never dare if I was there. And though my mother would always tell me that this was my punishment, and that when I returned I would be a better person, I knew that there would be nothing gained from this but disaster. I'd had a friend, who'd done some bad(if not intentional) things, and I'd heard everyone talk about him while he wasnt there, and they'd all talked about my sins too, what I'd done to my boyfriend at the beginning, and it made me think whether I deserved to be dumped, whether my mother was right, that I needed to be punished. ANd know I know that if I could go back and change what had happened I would tell him exactly how I felt, even IF he had to listen to me cry. And that I still thought about everyone, their electric embraces kept me warm while my heart was cold. And If I could stop the fight with my mom and return home, I would.
    Flag bRoKeN-mInDeDon September 18, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this song reflects how much we need someone... and how much it hurts if this person is not with you... or doesn't even care about you... the dirty little secret I think it's something that broke up with a relationship some mistake that she commited... but I believe she's right... it is not a mistake that judges the love that two people feel for each other... neither their relationship... I think everybody deserves second if not third chances...

    She could have told him that she didn't mean to make that mistake, and she's sorry... but she didn't had the chance... not from her beloved... neither from the people in the town... who judged her mistake even if it was their buisness

    But they had to say something... They had to tell everybody and talk about it every day... me mean and complain... and be people... random people... who finds funny talking about others life with no respect... who misjudge everybody and everything...

    They had to be 'the society' and have a lack of respect and civism... our society still has a lot to learn and to improve...
    Flag franck5pon September 15, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i agree with Dak83.

    this song reflects a lot of gossip and social acceptance on someone else's buisness.
    but in the end she's willing to "give up the fight" if only she could have another chance to say what she couldn't say before..

    its a beautiful song.
    Flag black-sapphireon January 18, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song is about overcome the past which Sarah calls as the title " Dirty Little Secret" and not want it to be revealed by anybody in this town

    the chorus is how they try to be able to love someone again and that if they have an other chance to love, they would not hesitate.
    Flagged Dak83on December 18, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:To me, this song seems to be about regret and unfulfilled love. The singer is indicating that they have missed an opportunity to reveal their feelings to the one they love, and that they have only just now got over themselves (and worrying about what is socially acceptable) to tell that person how they feel.
    Flag Majikthizeon March 09, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song Actually reminds me of what I have been going through for the last couple of month. I've just moved to a new town and everyone here can't keep their mouth shut. You tell them something you want kept private and in an hour your neighbour knows. Sarah's expressing her love by telling him she would tell him anythign in the world and trust him with all of her heart. This song is truely Beautiful.
    Flag sunchick42on November 19, 2004   Link

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