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'
Evening Eall
Enya Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
from within me calls - could it be i am sleeping?
for a moment i stray, then it holds me completely.
close to home - i cannot say.
close to home feeling so far away.
as i walk there before me a shadow
from another world, where no other can follow.
close to home - i cannot say.
close to home feeling so far away.
forever searching; never right,
i am lost in oceans of night.
forever hoping i can find memories.
those memories i left behind.
even though i leave will i go on believing
that this time is real - am i lost in this feeling?
like a child passing through, never knowing the reason.
i am home - i know the way.
i am home - feeling oh, so far away.
Enya's "Evening Falls" is an introspective song that captures the feeling of being lost and yearning to find a way back home. The lyrics describe a moment when the singer feels disconnected from reality and questions whether they are sleeping or awake. They get lost in their own thoughts, but something eventually grounds them, giving them a sense of stability. The singer sees a shadow that represents a world they cannot reach, and they realize that they must find their own way back home. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer feeling closer to home and more at peace with their journey.
Throughout the song, Enya uses vivid imagery and poetic language to convey the singer's emotional journey. She uses phrases like "oceans of night," "memories I left behind," and "lost in this feeling" to create a sense of longing and confusion. The repetition of "close to home" adds to the song's dreamlike quality, as if the singer is searching for something just out of reach.
One interpretation of the song is that it reflects Enya's personal experience of feeling disconnected from her Irish roots. Despite being raised in a musical family and having a deep appreciation for traditional Irish music, Enya spent many years living in England and pursuing her own career. The song could be seen as a reflection of her longing to return to her homeland and reconnect with her cultural heritage.
Some possible themes that emerge from the song include the search for identity, the longing for connection and belonging, and the comfort of returning home. Enya's haunting vocals and gentle piano accompaniment create a soothing, introspective atmosphere that invites the listener to reflect on their own emotions and experiences. "Evening Falls" is a powerful reminder of the importance of finding one's own path in life and the comfort of finding one's way back home.
Line by Line Meaning
When the evening falls and the daylight is fading,
As the sun sets and the light dims, signaling the end of the day,
from within me calls - could it be i am sleeping?
I hear a voice inside me, wonder if I'm dreaming or not,
for a moment i stray, then it holds me completely.
For a second, I'm lost, then something grips me entirely,
close to home - i cannot say.
I'm near my home, but I can't specify how close,
close to home feeling so far away.
Although I'm almost there, it feels like it's distant,
as i walk there before me a shadow
While I'm walking, I see a shadow in front of me,
from another world, where no other can follow.
It's from a different universe, and nobody else can pursue it,
carry me to my own, to where i can cross over...
It accompanies me to my realm, where I can pass through to the other side,
forever searching; never right,
I'm consistently questing and never finding what I'm looking for,
i am lost in oceans of night.
I'm confused and wandering in dark and endless seas,
forever hoping i can find memories.
I'm continuously hoping to retrieve some memories of mine,
those memories i left behind.
Those recollections that I abandoned somewhere,
even though i leave will i go on believing
Even though I move on, will I continue to have faith,
that this time is real - am i lost in this feeling?
That this moment is genuine - or am I just deluded?
like a child passing through, never knowing the reason.
Like an innocent child wandering aimlessly, without a goal,
i am home - i know the way.
But now, I have reached my place of comfort - I recognize the path.
i am home - feeling oh, so far away.
However, being home feels remote, despite all my effort.
Contributed by Katherine H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@enziiitttooo
When the evening falls
And the daylight is fading,
From within me calls
Could it be I am sleeping?
For a moment I stray,
Then it holds me completely
Close to home - I cannot say
Close to home feeling so far away
As I walk the room there before me a shadow
From another world, where no other can follow
Carry me to my own, to where I can cross over
Close to home - I cannot say
Close to home feeling so far away
Forever searching; never right,
I am lost in oceans of night.
Forever hoping I can find memories
Those memories I left behind
Even though I leave will I go on believing
That this time is real - am I lost in this feeling?
Like a child passing through,
Never knowing the reason
I am home - I know the way
I am home - feeling oh, so far away
@ivo06031979
"When the evening falls
And the daylight is fading
From within me calls
Could it be I am sleeping?
For a moment I stray
Then it holds me completely
Close to home, I cannot say
Close to home, feeling so far away"
Simply beautifull...
@malcxvm
Enya is one of a kind. Her music will probably be listened to for decades, if not centuries to come ❤
@stephanieadams3747
She has a sister whose music and voice are equally beautiful.
@alanaudley5646
Enya used to in Clannad right?
@jimcrow3509
1988, I walked into a record store in Colorado Springs. They were playing Watermark. I've listened to every one of her songs since then. A beautiful woman who can bring a grown man to tears is an angel. She is magnificent, a treasure, and an awakening into real music.
@mikekaraoke
Yea I totally agree, Another woman that does that to me with so much emotion is Kate Bush
I live near where Kate Bush lived in Kent in Welling-I live near Dartford/Bexleyheath way
Where you from Jim?
@gamers7800
He’s from the state and I agree, some of the most beautiful music from one of the beautiful voices!
@gilbeau5254
Her song 'May It Be' from Lord of the Rings gets me every time.
@uncatila
I had a crush on her. I thought I'd go to Ireland and sit at the pub near her house hoping for a chance encounter. Another guy beat me to it. He got arested and beaten up for being a stalker.
@fenikslied
Is your name really Jim Crow?
@truesamuraiHisashi
Dear Enya, I do not know how many times your songs have saved me, calmed me down, and let me take a rest. You heal me. I believe I am not the only one who feels this way. I am so happy to get to know your songs. Thank you.