Enya was born into a musical family. Her father, Leo Brennan, was the leader of the Slieve Foy Band, a popular Irish show band; her mother was an amateur musician. Most important to Enya's career were her siblings, who formed Clannad in 1976 with several of their uncles. Enya joined the band as a keyboardist in 1979, and contributed to several of the group's popular television soundtracks. In 1982, she left Clannad, claiming that she was uninterested in following the pop direction the group had begun to pursue. Within a few years she was commissioned, along with producer/arranger Nicky Ryan and lyricist Roma Ryan, to provide the score for a BBC-TV series called The Celts. The soundtrack was released in 1986 as her eponymous solo album.
Enya didn't receive much notice, but Enya and the Ryans' second effort, Watermark, became a surprise hit upon its release in 1988. "Orinoco Flow," the first single, became a number one hit in Britain, helping the album eventually sell eight million copies worldwide. Enya spent the years following the success of Watermark rather quietly; her most notable appearance was a cameo on Sinéad O'Connor's I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got. She finally released Shepherd Moons, her follow-up to Watermark, in 1991. Shepherd Moons was even more successful than its predecessor, eventually selling over ten million copies worldwide; it entered the U.S. charts at number 17 and remained in the Top 200 for almost four years.
Again, Enya was slow to follow up on the success of Shepherd Moons, spending nearly four years working on her fourth album. The record, entitled Memory of Trees, was released in December of 1995. Memory of Trees entered the U.S. charts at number nine and sold over two million copies within its first year of release. In 1997 came the release of a greatest-hits collection, Paint the Sky with Stars: The Best of Enya, which featured two new songs. Enya's first album of new material in five years, A Day Without Rain, was released in late 2000. In 2001, she contributed material to the first film in Peter Jackson's award-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy, scoring a hit with the single "May It Be." Amarantine, her first full-length recording since Day Without Rain, followed in November of 2005, and has so far sold nearly five million copies.
(Much of the above content of this biography has been taken from http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0ifoxqe5ldhe~T1.)
After the September 11, 2001 attacks, her song "Only Time" (from A Day Without Rain) was used as a backdrop in many radio and TV reports about the attacks. She initially frowned upon this use, especially when many bootlegged versions of Only Time mixed with sound effects from the attack began to appear.
Enya eventually agreed to release a special edition of the song with funds going to the families of victims. Many Enya fans, however, are resentful that her music has been linked with the attacks; an example of this occurred on a 2002 appearance on CNN's Larry King Live when images of battle in Afghanistan were shown on screen as she performed "May It Be", a song with little war connection. This sparked some complaints within Enya's fan community.
Enya is admittedly a slow worker when it comes to composing music. As a result, fans have had to wait as long as five years between albums. In September 2004, a new song, set to words from a Japanese poem Roma Ryan had written and called "Sumiregusa" ("Wild Violet") was unveiled in Japan as part of an advertising campaign for Panasonic. In announcing the new recording, Warner Music Japan stated that Enya's next album was scheduled for release (in Japan at least) in mid-November. Enya issued a press release on her official Web site on 19 September stating that this was a mistake and no new album was immediately forthcoming.
Enya was awarded the World's Best-Selling Irish Act award at the World Music Awards in London on 19 November 2006. On February 11, 2007 Amarantine won Enya her fourth Grammy when it was awarded the Best New Age Album award.
Recent Releases
In November of 2005, a new album, entitled Amarantine, was released. It won the Grammy Award for Best New Age Album for 2007.
In 2006, Enya released several Christmas-themed CDs with newly recorded material. On October 10, 2006, Sounds of the Season was released containing six songs: the previously released "Oíche Chiúin" (a.k.a. "Silent Night") and "Amid the Falling Snow", new recordings of the standards "Adeste Fideles" (a.k.a. "Oh Come All Ye Faithful") and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" as well as two original songs, "Christmas Secrets" and "The Magic of the Night". This CD was released only in the United States in an exclusive partnership with the NBC television network and the Target department store chain.
In later November two new editions of Amarantine were released. In North America, it was reissued as Amarantine - Special Christmas Edition with a second disc containing the four new Christmas songs previously issued on Sounds of the Season (the original album already had "Amid the Falling Snow" while "Oíche Chiúin" is a recording dating back to 1988 which had already been featured on numerous collections). The UK received a deluxe version of this release (Amarantine - The UK Special Edition) which also included three postcards and a copy of Roma Ryan's book Water Shows the Hidden Heart which is referenced on the original album. Canadian fans could choose from the Special Christmas Edition of Amarantine, or an EP entitled Christmas Secrets which only contained the four new songs.
Coinciding with these releases was the relaunch of Enya's official website on Nov. 2, 2006. On November 16, 2006 Enya mentioned on ITV1's that she is working on a new album. A month later, in a Japanese interview Enya said that the album will be a complete Christmas album and it will be released in the winter of 2007. There is no schedule for the release date itself.
Enya's album, "And Winter Came", was released in November 2008. It contains twelve tracks - ten brand new songs plus a newly recorded choral rendering of Oiche Chiuin (Silent Night) and a stunning version of the traditional Christmas hymn 'O come, o come Emmanuel'
09 Orinoco Flow
Enya Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sail away, sail away, sail away
Sail away, sail away, sail away
Sail away, sail away, sail away
From Bissau to Palau, in the shade of Avalon
From Fiji to Tyree and the Isles of Ebony
From Peru to Cebu hear the power of Babylon
Turn it up, turn it up, turn it up, up, adieu. Ooh ooh
Turn it up, turn it up, turn it up, up, adieu. Ooh ooh
Turn it up, turn it up, turn it up, up, adieu. Oh
Sail away, sail away, sail away
Sail away, sail away, sail away
Sail away, sail away, sail away
Sail away, sail away, sail away
From the North to the South, Ebudæ into Khartoum
From the deep sea of Clouds to the island of the moon
Carry me on the waves to the lands I've never been
Carry me on the waves to the lands I've never seen
We can sail, we can sail with the Orinoco Flow
We can sail, we can sail
(Sail away, sail away, sail away)
We can steer, we can near
With Rob Dickins at the wheel
We can sigh, say goodbye Ross and his dependencies
We can sail, we can sail
(Sail away, sail away, sail away)
We can reach, we can beach
On the shores of Tripoli
We can sail, we can sail
(Sail away, sail away, sail away)
From Bali to Cali, far beneath the Coral Sea
We can sail, we can sail
(Sail away, sail away, sail away)
From Bissau to Palau, in the shade of Avalon
We can sail, we can sail
(Sail away, sail away, sail away)
We can reach, we can beach
Far beyond the Yellow Sea
We can sail, we can sail
(Sail away, sail away, sail away)
From Peru to Cebu hear the power of Babylon
We can sail, we can sail
(Sail away, sail away, sail away)
We can sail, we can sail
Sail away, sail away, sail away
Sail away, sail away, sail away
Sail away, sail away, sail away
Sail away, sail away, sail away
Sail away, sail away, sail away
The song "Orinoco Flow" by Enya is an uplifting and meditative ode to the beauty and wonder of the natural world. The song speaks of the vast possibilities of travel and discovery across the globe, with references to exotic locations from Bali to Cebu, Peru to Bissau, and Fiji to Tyree. The chorus, "Sail away, sail away, sail away," is an invitation to set out on a journey of exploration and self-discovery, both physically and spiritually.
The song is built around a simple melody and repetitive structure, with Enya's ethereal vocals layered over a lush, orchestral arrangement. The lyrics evoke a sense of wonder and possibility, inviting the listener to join Enya on a journey to new and exciting places. The second verse speaks of traveling from the "North to the South," from Ebudae to Khartoum, and from the "deep sea of clouds" to the "island of the moon." The final verse brings the journey full circle, returning to Bali and Cebu, Peru and Bissau, and inviting the listener to "sail away" once again.
Line by Line Meaning
Sail away, sail away, sail away
Let's embark on a journey and explore the uncharted territories of the world.
From Bissau to Palau, in the shade of Avalon
Let's travel from Bissau to Palau and enjoy the serene environment of Avalon.
From Fiji to Tyree and the Isles of Ebony
Let's explore the exotic islands of Fiji, Tyree and Ebony.
From Peru to Cebu hear the power of Babylon
Let's hear the captivating music of Babylon while voyaging from Peru to Cebu.
From Bali to Cali, far beneath the Coral Sea
Let's venture from Bali to Cali and discover the aquatic wonders lurking beneath the Coral Sea.
Turn it up, turn it up, turn it up, up, adieu. Ooh ooh
Let's increase the volume and bid farewell to our mundane lives. Ooh ooh!
From the North to the South, Ebudæ into Khartoum
Let's travel from the northern point of Ebudæ and head towards Khartoum in the South.
From the deep sea of Clouds to the island of the moon
Let's go from the deep sea of Clouds and traverse towards the mystical vibes of the island of the moon.
Carry me on the waves to the lands I've never been
Let's ride the waves and explore unchartered lands we've never been to before.
Carry me on the waves to the lands I've never seen
Let's travel the seas and witness new lands that our eyes have never seen before.
We can sail, we can sail with the Orinoco Flow
We have the power to sail through the Orinoco Flow and travel the world with a free spirit.
We can steer, we can near, with Rob Dickins at the wheel
Let Rob Dickins take control and steer us closer to our destination.
We can sigh, say goodbye Ross and his dependencies
We can bid farewell to Ross and his current situation, leaving behind the dependencies that come along.
We can reach, we can beach, On the shores of Tripoli
We can reach our destination and arrive on the beautiful shores of Tripoli.
From Bali to Cali, far beneath the Coral Sea
Let's go deep under the Coral Sea during our voyage from Bali to Cali.
From Bissau to Palau, in the shade of Avalon
As we sail from Bissau to Palau, let's enjoy the peaceful and relaxing atmosphere of Avalon.
We can reach, we can beach, far beyond the Yellow Sea
We can sail beyond the Yellow Sea and reach even farther than before, to a new destination.
From Peru to Cebu hear the power of Babylon
Let's listen to the powerful music of Babylon while sailing from Peru to Cebu.
We can sail, we can sail
We can continue our voyage with a free spirit and open mind.
Sail away, sail away, sail away
Let's keep sailing away to new places and new adventures.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Eithne Ni Bhraonain, Nicky Ryan, Roma Ryan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind