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'
exile
Enya Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In December mornings,
Cold is the cry that rings
From this far distant shore.
Winter has come too late
Too close beside me.
How can I chase away
All these fears deep inside?
I'll wait the signs to come.
I'll find a way
I will wait the time to come.
I'll find a way home.
My light shall be the moon
And my path - the ocean.
My guide the morning star
As I sail home to you.
I'll wait the signs to come.
I'll find a way
I will wait the time to come.
I'll find a way home.
My light shall be the moon
And my path - the ocean.
My guide the morning star
As I sail home to you.
Who then can warm my soul?
Who can quell my passion?
Out of these dreams - a boat
I will sail home to you.
The lyrics of Enya's song "Exile" evoke a sense of longing and loneliness. The opening lines describe the cold as the northern winds in December mornings, and the cry that echoes from a far distant shore. The winter has come too late, and it is too close beside the singer, making everything feel bleak and hopeless. The fears deep inside the singer seem to be overwhelming, and they are in search of a way to chase them away.
In contrast to the coldness and isolation of the opening lines, the chorus of the song brings a glimmer of hope. The singer describes waiting for the signs to come and finding a way home. The light will be the moon, and the path, the ocean. The morning star will guide the singer as they sail home, bringing them closer to the person they long for. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the determination of the singer to find their way home, no matter what obstacles they may face.
The final lines of the song suggest that the singer's passion will not be quelled by distance or time. Even in their dreams, they are building a boat to sail home to the one they love. Enya's use of imagery and repetition creates a sense of urgency and determination in the singer's longing for home, making the song a poignant representation of the human experience of longing for connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Cold as the northern winds
The weather is frigid and unpleasant, contributing to the singer's feelings of isolation.
In December mornings,
This setting emphasizes the loneliness and isolation the singer feels.
Cold is the cry that rings
The sounds of despair and sadness are felt strongly and projected outward.
From this far distant shore.
The distance between the artist and home is immense, causing a feeling of loneliness.
Winter has come too late
The timing of events or life changes have negatively impacted the artist.
Too close beside me.
The negative impact of the life changes is causing the singer to feel uncomfortable and trapped.
How can I chase away
The singer is seeking a way to get rid of inner turmoil and worries.
All these fears deep inside?
The artist is feeling deep worries or anxieties about their personal life and future.
I'll wait the signs to come.
The artist will be patient and receptive of whatever events happen in the near future.
I'll find a way
The artist is confident in their ability to solve problems and overcome barriers.
I will wait the time to come.
The singer is patient and does not rush things, knowing that things will happen eventually.
I'll find a way home.
The artist is determined to reach home, no matter the challenges they encounter.
My light shall be the moon
The moon and its light will provide guidance and solace for the singer.
And my path - the ocean.
The singer will travel through the vast, unknown ocean to reach their destination.
My guide the morning star
The morning star will provide guidance and direction for the singer, helping them on their journey.
As I sail home to you.
The artist will use the aforementioned elements to reach their destination, their intended audience or group.
Who then can warm my soul?
The artist is asking who can provide emotional comfort and support.
Who can quell my passion?
The singer is asking who can help them control or lessen their strong emotions.
Out of these dreams - a boat
The singer is using their dreams as inspiration for their journey, and to manifest the elements needed for it.
I will sail home to you.
The journey will ultimately lead back to the group or person the artist intended.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EITHNE NI BHRAONAIN, NICKY RYAN, ROMA RYAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind