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'
White Is in the Winter Night
Enya Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It fills the night with kisses
Have you seen the bright blue star
It fills your heart with wishes
Have you seen the candlelight
It shines from every window
Have you seen the moon above
It lights the sky in silver
Green is in the mistletoe
And red is in the holly
Silver in the stars above
That shine on everybody
Gold is in the candlelight
And crimson in the embers
White is in the winter night
That everyone remembers
Have you heard the boys outside
When all the girls are skating
Have you heard their sweet hearts cry
For all this time they're waiting
Green is in the mistletoe
And red is in the holly
Silver in the stars above
That shine on everybody
Gold is in the candlelight
And crimson in the embers
White is in the winter night
That everyone remembers
Have you seen the children playing
Tiny hands are frozen
Have you seen them hurry home
When suddenly its snowing
Green is in the mistletoe
And red is in the holly
Silver in the stars above
That shine on everybody
Gold is in the candlelight
And crimson in the embers
White is in the winter night
That everyone remembers
Have you heard that bells are ringing
Ringing out their story
Have you heard the choir singing
Glory, glory glory
Enya's song White Is In The Winter Night is a beautiful Christmastime song that invites listeners to reflect on the joyous and magical moments of the holiday season. Enya's ethereal voice is accompanied by piano and orchestral instruments, creating a dreamy atmosphere that transports us to a winter wonderland. The lyrics celebrate the various symbols of Christmas, such as mistletoe, stars, candlelight, and the color green and red in holly. Enya invites us to observe the simple pleasures of the holiday season, such as children playing in the snow or boys waiting for their sweethearts to join them on the ice.
The song also prompts us to reflect on the emotions and memories associated with Christmas. The color white is mentioned several times, highlighting the peaceful and nostalgic feelings that many experience during this time of year. The song ends with the sound of bells ringing and a choir singing "glory, glory, glory," reminding us of the spiritual significance of Christmas and the joy and hope it brings.
Overall, Enya's White Is In The Winter Night is a beautiful and nostalgic Christmas song that reminds us of the beauty and magic of the holiday season.
Line by Line Meaning
Have you seen the mistletoe
Have you experienced the magic of the mistletoe, which fills the night with lovely kisses?
It fills the night with kisses
This beautiful plant fills the dark December nights with love and romance.
Have you seen the bright blue star
Have you caught a glimpse of the enchanting bright blue star that inspires beautiful wishes?
It fills your heart with wishes
This radiant star has the power to fill your heart with wonderful dreams and aspirations.
Have you seen the candlelight
Have you observed the soft, warm glow of candlelight illuminating every window?
It shines from every window
The light from these candles shines so brightly, it seems to radiate from every window around you.
Have you seen the moon above
Have you noticed the mesmerizing beauty of the moon, that bathes the earth in silver light?
It lights the sky in silver
The stunning moonlight creates a beautiful, soft, silver light that fills the sky and the land below it.
Green is in the mistletoe
The leaves of the mistletoe are a beautiful, luscious shade of green.
And red is in the holly
The berries of the holly are a deep, rich red color that is quite striking.
Silver in the stars above
The stars in the sky sparkle like silver, illuminating the earth below them.
That shine on everybody
The stars shine their bright light on everyone, creating a sense of unity and togetherness.
Gold is in the candlelight
The flickering light of a candle often creates a warm, golden hue that can be quite beautiful.
And crimson in the embers
The embers of a fire are often a deep, smoldering red color that can be quite mesmerizing to watch.
White is in the winter night
The winter night is filled with a brilliant, stark white beauty that is impossible to forget.
That everyone remembers
This incredible beauty is something that everyone who experiences it will remember forever.
Have you heard the boys outside
Have you listened to the joyful sounds of boys playing outside on a winter evening?
When all the girls are skating
When the girls are out ice-skating, the boys find their own ways to have fun on a winter night.
Have you heard their sweet hearts cry
Have you ever heard their longing hearts whispering love and hope in the cold, winter air?
For all this time they're waiting
For some time now, they have been waiting for their chance to express their affection and love to someone special.
Have you seen the children playing
Have you noticed the innocent and magical way that children play in the winter snow?
Tiny hands are frozen
Despite the cold temperatures, the children's small hands remain warm from the warmth of their sweet, playful hearts.
Have you seen them hurry home
Have you watched as they run home to escape the cold, and to be surrounded by the love of their families?
When suddenly its snowing
When the snow begins to fall unexpectedly, it creates a sense of excitement and joy for the children playing in it.
Have you heard that bells are ringing
Have you heard the sweet and gentle sound of bells ringing in the night air?
Ringing out their story
The sound of these bells tells a story of love, peace, and hope that is universal during the winter season.
Have you heard the choir singing
Have you listened to the beautiful melody of a choir singing their heartfelts songs of praise and joy?
Glory, glory glory
Their songs fill your heart with love, admiration, and exultation as they celebrate the magic of the winter season.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Eithne Ni Bhraonain, Nicky Ryan, Roma Ryan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
enyatv
Celebrate this holiday season in style with all your favorite Christmas tunes like timeless classics by Donny Hathaway, Otis Redding, and the Drifters and new holiday favorites by Michael Bublé, Sia, Coldplay and more! Listen here https://TOPSIFY.lnk.to/100GreatestXmas 🎄 🎅 🎁
Monster
@Dāv Friend Pleiadian Oh yes!
Dāv Friend Pleiadian
We would like to celebrate with your new music Enya 🥰💚
aramanth
I don't know why but I associate this song with Enya's album
A Day Without Rain. I know it is from And Winter Came but
to me it has such a feeling about it like songs "Flora's Secret" and
"Wild Child". Whatever, it is a splendid and beautiful holiday hit!!
## L
i know wahat you mean i agree
The Short Ocarina Player
I love your songs❤❤🎉
Elizabeth Gilliam
This song gets me in the Christmas mood even though I am the only one left in my family.
Elizabeth Gilliam
@Finch Harper have friends like that.
Aditya Sharma
Aah the freedom lol
Finch Harper
Are you still here? What is sad is I have a few family members left, but they are so self absorbed they don't even care I exist and have forgotten me. So I feel like I have no one left, and it has been that way for years.