Clannad is an Irish musical group from Gaoth Dobhair (pronounced, Gwee-Dore… Read Full Bio ↴Clannad is an Irish musical group from Gaoth Dobhair (pronounced, Gwee-Dore), County Donegal, Ireland. Their music has been variously described as being folk music, new age, and Celtic. Clannad was formed by sibblings Máire Ní Bhraonáin (Moya Brennan), Ciarán Brennan, Pól Brennan, and their twin uncles Noel Duggan (died 2022) and Pádraig Duggan (died 2016). Eithne Ní Bhraonáin ( Enya Brennan), Máire's sister, used to be a member of the group in the early Eighties. The band won a Grammy Award in 1999 for Best New Age Album and subsequently won numerous other awards including a BAFTA, an Ivor Novello Award, and a Billboard Music Award.

Clannad, whose name is taken from an Clann as Dobhar meaning the family from Dore, was formed by the Brennan family in 1970. Máire, Ciarán and Pól Brennan joined uncles Noel and Pádraig Duggan and began performing in their father Leo's tavern. Máire's sister, Enya, joined the band in 1979 and left three years later to pursue a successful solo career. Máire has also enjoyed a simultaneous career as a solo singer, starting with her 1992 album entitled Máire, and recently altered the spelling of her name to Moya Brennan.

Harry's Game, the group's theme song for a television thriller, prominently featured in the film Patriot Games, was also used in a commercial for Volkswagen in 1992, and won Clannad newfound popularity in the United States. Another hit was the 1985 song In a Lifetime with Bono of U2. Their song, I Will Find You, is part of the soundtrack for the 1992 film The Last of the Mohicans.

The mega-selling album Lore (1996) also gave some thought to the Native American Indians. On Trail Of Tears Noel Duggan imagined how it felt to be exiled from your ancestral land. He was also thinking about these people and their connection with the Irish. How for instance, these distant American cousins had sent money to Ireland during the potato famine of the Nineteenth Century.

Their Grammy in 1999, (their third nomination) was in recognition for the Landmarks (1998) record, which was once again sited in the heartland of Donegal, shaped by the mountains, the glens and the sea-lashed shores of Gweedore. In Of This Land Moya sings about Ireland, of its past and of its future. The track Fadó translates as "Long Ago", which once again demonstrates the influence of old Celtic history on Clannad's music.

In 2003, Clannad released the best of album, In A Lifetime, which is one of their biggest selling albums to date.

Clannad have gone from strength to strength, and from their early days have created a massive fan base. The youngest of the siblings, Moya's (Máire's) sister and goddaughter is the musician Brídín Brennan.

In 2008, Clannad again began touring, beginning with a UK tour in March. Clannad's Noel Duggan in March 2008 released the band's official biography, 'Moments in a Lifetime', which includes many unseen photographs, and the band's latest (15th) compilation 'Celtic Themes' was released a few days later.

In June 2009, Clannad was nominated for an IMA Award in the category Best Revival Act.

Their album Nádúr (their first new album since the release of Landmarks in 1997) was released worldwide in September 2013.

In 2019, Clannad embarked on their In a Lifetime farewell tour, but it was postponed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A new compilation album entitled, In a Lifetime (which included two new tracks), was released.

Discography

* 1972 — The Pretty Maid (Clannad)
* 1974 — Clannad 2
* 1976 — Dúlamán
* 1978 — Clannad in Concert [live]
* 1979 — Ring Of Gold [live, unofficial bootleg]
* 1980 — Crann Úll
* 1982 — Fuaim
* 1983 — Magical Ring
* 1984 — Legend [soundtrack]
* 1985 — Macalla
* 1987 — Sirius
* 1987 — The Collection [collection]
* 1988 — Atlantic Realm [soundtrack]
* 1989 — Pastpresent [collection]
* 1989 — The Angel and the Soldier Boy [soundtrack]
* 1992 — Anam
* 1993 — Banba
* 1995 — Lore
* 1995 — Themes [collection]
* 1997 — Landmarks
* 1997 — Rogha: The Best of Clannad [collection]
* 1998 — An Diolaim [collection]
* 2003 — The Best of Clannad: In A Lifetime [collection]
* 2005 — Clannad - Live In Concert, 1996 [live]
* Nádúr (2013)

Official website: www.clannad.ie
Northern Skyline: www.clannad.org.uk

Second Nature
Clannad Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

To a son it is given
Some dusty strings from the wall
Fingers touch and he plays a tune
It's a mighty air
You know the heart is there

It hides from the outside
And it shines from within

A ready pen for a picture
Fine scribes lead the way
Focus lens direct eyes that see
The gifted hands
Through timeless sands

It hides from the outside
And it shines from within

When nature takes you for a stroll
Down an avenue with so much soul
Pleasure, gifts and the ornaments
The creation found "in the moving cloud"

It hides from the outside
And it shines from within

The kind that keep holding on

And it shines within
Second nature

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Clannad's song "Second Nature" describe the power of music and art to express one's inner being. The opening lines talk of a son who is given some dusty strings from the wall and who plays a tune, which is described as a "mighty air." The song suggests that this music comes from deep within the son's heart and soul, and that it is hidden from the outside world but shines from within.

The second verse talks of art as a means of expression, with "fine scribes" and a "focus lens" helping to reveal what is inside. The song suggests that the work of the artist is timeless and can communicate across generations.

The final verse is a poetic evocation of nature, which encourages one to take a walk down an avenue full of soul. The creation is found "in the moving cloud," suggesting that it is something mysterious and fleeting but also powerful and beautiful. Overall, "Second Nature" celebrates the ability of human beings to create art and music and to connect with the world around them.

Line by Line Meaning

To a son it is given
It is a natural gift bestowed upon a son

Some dusty strings from the wall
He finds some old, forgotten strings from the wall

Fingers touch and he plays a tune
He plucks the strings and creates a melody

It's a mighty air
The tune has a powerful presence

You know the heart is there
The passion behind the music is evident

It hides from the outside
The beauty of the music is not immediately apparent

And it shines from within
But the soulful essence of the music is felt deeply

A ready pen for a picture
Like a painter with a blank canvas, ready to create

Fine scribes lead the way
Passionate writers guide and inspire

Focus lens direct eyes that see
A clear vision guides the artist's hand

The gifted hands
A musician's skilled fingers or an artist's deft touch