10 Songs That Ruined Otherwise Perfect Albums

The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill is a smorgasbord of musical styles, influenced by and incorporating everything from doo-wop to hip hop. For the most part it’s celebratory, harnessed by the talents of Hill, one of the great performers of the 1990s.

“To Zion” is the one song that brings the album down. It’s not without its fans, and for good reason -the lyrics clearly come from the heart, and Hill’s vocal is typically great. It features guitar work from Carlos Santana, who does basically the same thing he does on every song, but it works.

The lyrical content, however, is questionable. On the surface it’s a tribute to Hill’s newborn son. But the song is peppered with references to her friends and loved ones encouraging her to terminate the pregnancy. Who can say what kind of folks Hill was surrounding herself with at the time, but the picture she paints here seems an unlikely one.

While the rest of the album is full of wisdom and wonder, “To Zion” comes off self congratulatory. Hill’s self reflection is to be lauded, but her self awareness seems a little lacking on this track.