The division of syllables to follow the pattern of music may trick the listener into thinking that the song is written in Latin (as some Enya tracks are), but the lyrics are in fact English. At the end of the song she pays tribute to Warner Brothers Music UK CEO Rob Dickins and makes a more veiled reference to producer Ross Cullum.
In 1998 a special edition 10th anniversary remix single was released.
Locations referenced in lyrics (in order of mention)
Orinoco River, Venezuela and Colombia
Tripoli, Libya
Yellow Sea, China
Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
Palau, islands near the Philippines
Avalon, British Isles
Fiji, Fiji islands
Tiree, Scotland
Isles of Ebony, England
Peru, Peru
Cebu, Philippines
Babylon, Iraq
Bali, Indonesia
Cali, a city in Colombia
Coral Sea, Australia
Ebudae (Inner Hebrides), Scotland (also the name of a later Enya song)
Khartoum, Sudan
Sea of Clouds, the Moon, possibly Mount Huangshan, China
Island of the Moon, Madagascar
Ross Dependency (this was an in song reference to Ross Cullum)
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 unto 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 dependency
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 lyrics to Enya's "Orinoco Flow" reflect a sense of wanderlust, adventure, and a desire for exploration. The repetition of "sail away" throughout the song emphasizes the idea of leaving behind the familiar and embarking on a journey to discover the unknown. The geography-based verses mention various locations around the world, from Bissau to Palau and Fiji to Tyree, creating a sense of endless possibilities and excitement for what lies ahead.
The lyrics also evoke a feeling of unity and togetherness, as the chorus encourages listeners to join in and sail away together. The mention of "Rob Dickins at the wheel" and the farewell to Ross and his dependency suggest a group of friends setting out on this journey together. The chorus also implies that despite the vast distances between these far-off places, they are all connected by the power of the Orinoco Flow.
The song's uplifting melody and mystical sound, characteristic of Enya's style, further emphasize the sense of adventure and freedom in the lyrics, making it a timeless classic that continues to inspire listeners decades after its release.
Line by Line Meaning
Sail away, sail away, sail away
Let us embark on a journey of exploration and adventure, leaving behind our current surroundings and setting out to sea
From Bissau to Palau, in the shade of Avalon
We will navigate from the West African country of Guinea-Bissau to the Micronesian island of Palau, amidst the mystical atmosphere of the legendary land of Avalon
From Fiji to Tyree and the Isles of Ebony
Our journey will take us through the South Pacific islands of Fiji as well as the Scottish island of Tyree and the African islands of Ebony
From Peru to Cebu, hear the power of Babylon
We will hear the influence of Babylon, the ancient empire of Mesopotamia, as we pass through Peru and the Philippine island of Cebu
From Bali to Cali, far beneath the Coral Sea
Our journey will take us from the Indonesian island of Bali to the California coast, passing beneath the waters of the Coral Sea
Turn it up, turn it up, turn it up, up, adieu, ooh, ooh
Let us increase our excitement and anticipation for this journey, saying farewell to our current surroundings with a joyous shout
From the North to the South, Ebudæ unto Khartoum
Our voyage encompasses the extremes of the Earth, from the Scottish island of Ebudae to the Sudanese city of Khartoum
From the deep Sea of Clouds to the Island of the Moon
We will travel from the heights of the ethereal Sea of Clouds to the Bolivian Island of the Moon
Carry me on the waves to the lands I've never been
Let us be carried on the waves to new lands and cultures that we have not yet experienced
Carry me on the waves to the lands I've never seen
Our journey will also take us to places that we have only imagined, and which we have not yet laid our eyes upon
We can sail, we can sail with the Orinoco Flow
We have the ability and the means to sail alongside the Orinoco River in South America
We can steer, we can near with Rob Dickins at the wheel
We are confident in our ability to navigate this journey with the guidance of Rob Dickins at the helm
We can sigh, say goodbye Ross and his dependency
We are ready to let go of Ross and any obstacles that may hold us back from our journey
We can reach, we can beach on the shores of Tripoli
We can make landfall and explore the city of Tripoli, Libya
We can sail, we can sail
Our journey can continue, and we can continue to explore the world by sea
Far beyond the Yellow Sea
We will venture past the Yellow Sea, which lies between China and Korea
We can sail, we can sail from Bali to Cali, far beneath the Coral Sea
We can traverse the distance between Bali and California, passing through the waters of the Coral Sea
We can sail, we can sail from Bissau to Palau, in the shade of Avalon
We have the capability to navigate from Guinea-Bissau to Palau, while surrounded by the mystery and mythology of Avalon
We can sail, we can sail far beyond the Yellow Sea
Our journey can continue beyond the reaches of the Yellow Sea
We can sail, we can sail from Peru to Cebu, hear the power of Babylon
Our travels can bring us to Peru and Cebu, where we can encounter the influence of the ancient city of Babylon
Sail away, sail away, sail away
Let us continue our journey by sea, traveling to new lands and experiencing the world in all its wonder and diversity
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Eithne Ni Bhraonain, Nicky Ryan, Roma Ryan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hakonsoreide
@@jayclarke6671 Ah, yes. There were so many other comments about the imagined challenges of finding it, I was thinking along those lines too when I replied, but you are right. There is a reason so much of the music of the 70's and 80's, particularly, keeps getting played and seems a lot longer-lived than most of what has come since.
I am a bit of a cultural omnivore myself, enjoying classical music, opera, modernism, 60's pop, old-school jazz, Bluegrass, Breton folk music, ambient, experimental electronic music, 80's pop, and even some of the new stuff, up to and including Eurovision songs. I don't judge anyone's musical tastes, and I like keeping an open mind about cultural expressions of all kinds.
I think what I generally respond positively to, though, is when something is done well within its genre and style, and when it feels genuine and sincere. That does admittedly rule out a lot of the 21st Century stuff.
I usually use the word "interesting" too as a measure for what I consider good art.
And it also means I don't actually like Orinoco Flow so much. I think it's the least interesting song from the album Watermark, and I tend to skip it. It sounds like it was cynically made to be commercial as opposed to being made to express something profound like the rest of the album does far more successfully.
Her next album, Shepherd Moons is overall her best. After that, she gradually started repeating herself without really creating anything new, and I lost interest in paying attention to any of her new stuff after "The Memory of Trees" (which I bought on the day of release).
@hatranngoc9361
Let me sail, let me sail
Let the orinoco flow
Let me reach, let me beach
On the shores of Tripoli
Let me sail, let me sail
Let me crash upon your shore
Let me reach, let me beach
Far beyond the Yellow Sea
De, De, De, De, De, De, De, De, De, De
Sail away, sail away, sail away [x4]
From Bissau to Palau - in the shade of Avalon
From Fiji to Tiree and the Isles of Ebony
From Peru to Cebu hear the power of Babylon
From Bali to Cali - far beneath the Coral Sea
De, De, De, De, De, De, De, De, De, De
Turn it up, Turn it up, Turn it up, up, Adieu, Ohhhh
Turn it up, Turn it up, Turn it up, up, Adieu, Ohhhh
Turn it up, Turn it up, Turn it up, up, Adieu, Ohhhh
Sail away, sail away, sail away [x4]
From the North to the South
Ebudae 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 dependency
We can sail, we can sail...(Sail away, Sail away, Sail away)
@enyatv
Listen to The Very Best of Enya now: https://lnk.to/VeryBestOfEnyaYT
@pericoperico9869
l have you song saved in my PC woman and you´re very nice woman
@luisoswaldosierraparada8109
I love your music..is like an angel singing in my hear..
@YOMAN1792
@@luisoswaldosierraparada8109 same for me
@billywills9501
God Bless your Mom, and your Family
@albertomendoza3791
Grandiosa voz, gran realización, felicidades
@MolizaneTV
eu já conhecia enya há mais de 15 anos atrás com uma montage de final fantasy x que tem no youtube "we are free now". mas tinha esquecido dela, fui assistir o filme gran turismo e enya apareceu novamente.
@maikigomes3319
Eu estava procurando um comentário falando do filme kkk, pensei comigo mesmo não é possível que nenhum Br assistiu e achou essa música fantástica ksksks
@rafaeldasilvarossetti2677
@@maikigomes3319simmm mano, eu tbm assisti o filme, música brabaa
@patrickscally2882
I own three sailboats...only wish I had heard of Enya earlier. Just got the lyrics of this song on the net..very nautical. A reach is a point of sail. She grew up in a part of Ireland where they still speak Irish as their native tounge. Erin go bragh!