Building a Mystery (4:24)

“Building a Mystery” is a song by Sarah McLachlan, from her multi-platinum album Surfacing, first released in 1997. At a live performance, Sarah explains the song as being “basically about the fact that we all… have insecurities to hide, and we often do that by putting on a facade.” She also goes on to say that “unfortunately, if we just be who we are, that’s usually the more attractive and beautiful thing”

The song was her biggest chart hit in Canada, spending eight weeks at #1 on the RPM charts and ranking as the #1 single of the year in the magazine’s year end chart. It won the Juno Award for Single of the Year in 1998.

A fan favourite, the song was an immediate Top-40, Soft AC, and Hot AC hit which paved the grounds for her future songs “Sweet Surrender”, “Adia”, and “Angel”, all from the Surfacing album. It peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The track also made McLachlan the recipient of the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards of 1998, beating Mariah Carey, Shawn Colvin, Paula Cole and Jewel.