Julie Fowlis (born 20 June 1978 on North Uist, Outer Hebrides) is a Scottis… Read Full Bio ↴Julie Fowlis (born 20 June 1978 on North Uist, Outer Hebrides) is a Scottish folk singer and multi-instrumentalist who sings primarily in Scottish Gaelic. Fowlis won the Horizon award at the 2006 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, won Folk Singer of The Year at the 2008 awards, and was nominated for the Folk Singer of the Year award at the 2007 awards.

British broadcaster Mark Radcliffe hailed her voice and songs as “enchanting, beguiling and as fascinating as songs by Kate Bush and Björk” and KT Tunstall described her voice as "formidable and amazingly rhythmic". She was the BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer of the Year 2008 and has gathered a small army of fans around the world including an impressive list of celebrities including the aforementioned Mark Radcliffe, KT Tunstall plus Ricky Gervais and Phil Selway from Radiohead. In 2007 she was invited to appear on "Later...with Jools Holland" and was a special guest on the critically acclaimed "Transatlantic Sessions" series and has entertained millions of radio listeners around the world with her engaging live sessions and live performances.

She is somewhat of an enigma as she sings in a language only understood by around 60,000 people - which accounts for only approximately 1% of the population of Scotland. She sings in Scottish Gaelic and spends her time touring around the world bringing ancient songs from the Hebridean Islands to new audiences. She is an accomplished musician as well - playing Highland bagpipes, smallpipes, whistles, oboe & cor anglais and three waltzes on the one row melodeon.

She has broadcasting experience, including present two flagship music programmes on BBC Scotland - the traditional music programme "Travelling Folk" and the world music show "Global Gathering". A one hour documentary on her and her musical travels, entitled "Bliadhna Julie/Julie's Year" was broadcast by the BBC in 2007. She was publicly voted Gaelic Singer of the Year 2007 at the Scots Trad Music Awards and her album "cuilidh", produced with husband Eamon Doorley, was voted "Album of the Year" at the same awards. She has a clutch of other awards, including BBC Radio 2 Horizon Award 2006 for Best Emerging Artist (the first ever Gaelic Artist to be nominated for such an award) and was also voted Gaelic Singer of the Year 2005 at the Scots Trad Music Awards. She remains the only singer to have won this prestigious award twice.

Touch The Sky
Julie Fowlis Lyrics

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When the cold wind is a-calling
And the sky is clear and bright
Misty mountains sing and beckon
Lead me out into the light

I will ride, I will fly
Chase the wind and touch the sky
I will fly

Chase the wind and touch the sky

Where dark woods hide secret
And mountains are fierce and bold
Deep waters hold reflections
Of times lost long ago

I will hear their every story
Take hold of my own dream
Be as strong as the seas are stormy
And proud as an eagle's scream

I will ride, I will fly
Chase the wind and touch the sky
I will fly
Chase the wind and touch the sky

And touch the sky
Chase the wind

Chase the wind
Touch the sky

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Julie Fowlis's song Touch The Sky paint a picture of someone seeking adventure and freedom in the vast and beautiful world around them. The first stanza sets the scene with descriptions of the weather and the natural surroundings, which seem to be calling out to the singer. The mountains are described as misty and singing, with an invitation to explore them further.

The second stanza delves deeper into the idea of exploring the unknown, with references to dark woods and fierce mountains. The deep waters also hold secrets and stories of times long gone, and the singer seems eager to hear them all. The singer of the song expresses a desire to be as strong as the stormy seas and as proud as an eagle's scream. The chorus reflects this adventurous spirit, with a determination to ride and fly, chase the wind, and touch the sky.

Overall, the song is about embracing the wilderness and taking risks to follow your dreams. It encourages listeners to be brave and bold, to seek out new experiences, and to live life to the fullest.

Line by Line Meaning

When the cold wind is a-calling
When the chilly wind is inviting me out.

And the sky is clear and bright
When the heavens are vivid and blue.

Misty mountains sing and beckon
The foggy ranges call out to me, making me feel drawn towards them.

Lead me out into the light
Take me out to the bright and open world.

I will ride, I will fly
I will gallop and soar on high.

Chase the wind and touch the sky
I will pursue the wind and get a hold of the sky.

Where dark woods hide secret
In concealing woods, there are things to be discovered.

And mountains are fierce and bold
Mountains are powerful and daring.

Deep waters hold reflections
The depths of water possess truths from times long past.

Of times lost long ago
The memories of long-gone eras.

I will hear their every story
I will pay attention to all their stories.