"Adia" is a song by Canadian singer Sarah McLachlan that originally appeared on her 1997 album Surfacing. It was co-written by McLachlan and her longtime producer, Pierre Marchand. On VH1 Storytellers, McLachlan said about the song, "I'm not quite sure how to explain this one but, uh, I guess more than anything it's about my problems in dealing with feeling responsible for everyone else". The song starts with no musical introduction. The lyrics begin "Adia, I do believe I've failed you. Adia, I know I've let you down." The chorus says that "We are born innocent. Believe me Adia, we are still innocent." At times the music is simple and soft, with little more than a piano accompanying McLachlan. The song does not explain the exact relationship between the singer and Adia, whether they are friends, relatives or lovers. The video shows McLachlan singing directly to the camera in various public places, including a busy intersection, an office lobby, a supermarket aisle and in front of a store selling wedding dresses, where McLachlan kneels to grasp the hand of a child facing away from the camera. "Adia" was McLachlan's first top-five song on the US BillboardHot 100, peaking at number three. Though it only remained at the position for one week, the song spent six consecutive weeks at number four and seven consecutive weeks at number five, totaling fourteen weeks in the top five. "Adia" was the twentieth most successful song of 1998 in the US. The song also performed well in McLachlan's native Canada, peaking at number three for three non-consecutive weeks on the RPM Top Singles chart. It stayed in the top ten for sixteen weeks.
Releases
"Adia" was the third of four songs from Surfacing to be released as a single. It was her most successful US single, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. The single contains four tracks: the radio mix of "Adia", the Surfacing mix of "Angel", the original studio version of "I Will Remember You", and a live version of "Building a Mystery". McLachlan was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards of 1999 for "Adia", losing to Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On". A live version of "Adia" appears on the Mirrorball album.
